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KAM  E  H AM  E  H A 


THE    CONQUERING    KING 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  HIS  BIRTH,  LOVES,  AND  CONQUESTS 


A    ROMANCE    OF    HAWAII 


^ 

KNIGHT   COMPANION    OF  THE    ROYAL   ORDER    OF   KAPIOLANI  ;      AUTHOR   OF 
"  KALANI    OF  OAHU,"  "  PEHE   NU-E,"  ETC. 


NEW   YORK    &    LONDON 

G.    P.    PUTNAM'S    SONS 


1885. 


COPYRIGHT    BY 

C.  M.  NEWELL 

1885 

All  rights  reserved 


Press  of 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
New  York 


Bancroft  Library 


•"•J 


(Vws, 


\TVA       }f\ 
yvs      )W. 


&S 


TO 

HER  MAJESTY 
QUEEN    KAPIOLANI 

THIS   ROMANCE   OF   THE   RENOWNED   KING  IS   DEDICATED 
BY   ROYAL   PERMISSION,  WITH   KIND 

ALOHA / 

TO  HERSELF  AND  HER  SUNNY  ISLES 
BY  THE  AUTHOR 


PREFACE. 


THE  greater  part  of  this  Romance  is  a  truthful  narra- 
tion of  the  real  history  of  this  most  remarkable  of  Poly- 
nesian kings.  The  account  of  the  destruction  of  Keoua's 
army  by  means  of  Pele's  volcanic  eruption  is  trust- 
worthy, both  as  to  the  number  destroyed  and  as  to  the 
terrible  circumstances  of  their  death  ;  and  equally  his- 
torical are  the  dramatic  incidents  of  the  assassination  of 
the  brave  king,  together  with  seven  of  his  royal  chiefs. 
Truly,  history  repeats  itself,  for  this  was  a  repetition  of 
Pompey's  death  on  the  Egyptian  shore. 

None  of  the  battles  described,  or  of  the  personal  com- 
bats of  Kamehameha,  are  fictitious,  though  the  historian 
has  depended  for  his  details  upon  the  traditions  of  the 
priests  and  the  chants  and  meles  of  the  ancient  bards, 
each  of  whom  seized  upon  the  most  dramatic  epochs  of 
his  theme,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  intermediate  incidents 
— these  being  left  for  the  modern  narrator  to  conceive. 

Thus,  while  we  have  freely  romanced  with  one  of  the 
many  legendary  stories  of  Kamehameha's  birth  and  boy- 
hood, we  have  held  strictly  to  all  known  records  of 
history,  making  a  connective  narrative  as  best  we  could. 
What  the  still  unknown  secret  of  the  "  Iron  Mask  "  was 
to  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  the  romantic  and  yet  un- 
solved mystery  of  our  hero's  birth — fathered  by  a  trio  of 
kings — was  to  the  contemporary  historians  of  Hawaii. 
For  half  a  century  prior  to  his  birth  prophets  had  pre- 
dicted the  coming  of  a  great  chief,  and  bards  had  sung 


vi  Preface. 

of  a  renowned  warrior  who  should  conquer  the  "Eight 
Isles,"  and  forever  end  the  cruel  wars  between  the  six 
kingdoms. 

Of  the  several  traditional  birth-stories  related  to  us  by 
the  bards  and  chiefs  forty  years  ago,  we  have  chosen 
the  most  romantic,  if  the  least  authentic.  Our  chosen 
version  of  this  long-disputed  question  has  the  merit  of 
showing  why  Kalaniopuu,  the  ruling  king,  came  to  divide 
his  kingdom  between  his  known  and  his  unknown  heirs 
— Kiwalao  and  Kamehameha. 

It  is  but  fair  to  state  that  the  legend  which  found  most 
favor  half  a  century  ago  was  told  in  this  wise  :  One 
stormy  night  a  famous  chiefess  gave  birth,  in  the  war-camp 
of  King  Alapai's  army,  to  a  lusty  boy.  Priests,  prophets, 
and  bards  at  once  pronounced  the  young  Alii  to  be  the 
coming  man.  Tempted  by  this  belief,  Naeole,  a  great 
chief,  stole  the  babe  that  night  from  the  sleeping  mother's 
side,  and  secreted  him  for  five  years.  Then  Alapai 
ordered  the  chief  to  bring  the  boy  to  court.  In  fear  lest 
the  king  meant  to  kill  him,  Naeole  delivered  the  wrong 
child,  still  keeping  the  real  one  secreted  until  he  was 
twenty  years  old.  Some  years  after  Alapai  secretly 
killed  prince  Keoua.  This  led  Kalaniopuu  to  think  the 
king  would  soon  make  away  with  the  boy,  and  he  made 
an  attempt  by  force  of  arms  to  take  the  youth  from 
court.  A  severe  battle  was  fought,  and  Kalaniopuu  was 
beaten  without  rescuing  the  boy.  This  "  wrong  boy  " 
gave  rise  to  the  erroneous  story  that  the  high-born  Kame- 
hameha was  of  low  origin. 

A  glossary  of  Hawaiian  names  and  phrases  will  be 
found  at  the  close  of  the  book. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

BOSTON,  May,  1884. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

I — WAIMANU  VALLEY I 

II WAILELE  I    THE  ROMANCE  OF  HER  BIRTH    .  9 

III THE  MYSTERY  OF  A  HUNDRED    YEARS           .  14 

IV — THE  PERILOUS  DESCENT  INTO  WAIMANU      .  24 

V PRIEST-GIRLS  ANOINTING  THE  DOGS                .  34 

VI HOW  TO  WOO  A  PROUD  WOMAN              .            .  47 

VII — MYSTERIOUS  SACRIFICE  BY  MOONLIGHT         .  60 

VIII MOON-SPIRITS  IN  THE  VALLEY  .  66 

IX LAST  INTERVIEW  OF  THE  LOVERS         .            .  70 

X WOOED    AND  WON,  AND  PARTED   FOREVER,  75 

XI — UMI,  THE  GOD-BORN  CHIEF             ...  86 

XII BOYHOOD     DAYS     OF      UMI,     NOW    KAM^HA- 

MEHA       .......  95 

XIII HUMAN  SACRIFICE  IN  THE  TEMPLE      .            .  105 

XIV MIDNIGHT       INCANTATIONS      AMONG      THE 

GHOSTS Il6 

XV — KAMEHAME"HA'S  PILGRIMAGE  TO  THE  GODS,  126 

XVI THE  KING  AND  HIS  COURT  AT  WAIPIO           .  141 

XVII — THE  FEAST  OF  THE  WARLIKE  KINGS  .            .  150 
XVIII — THE     MAN-KILLERS    ON      THE    CHIEF-BOY's 

TRACK     .......  l6l 

XIX — PEPEHI     REBUKED      BY     THE      GODDESS     OF 

MUK1NI 172 

XX — KAME*HAME"HA   VISITS   WAIPIO    TO   CLAIM 

HIS  BIRTHRIGHT      .....  l8o 

XXI — COMMOTION  AT  WAIPIO        ....  187 
vii 


viii  Contents* 

PACK 

XXII LIFE  OR  DEATH  FOR  THE    KING'S  SON    .  igi 

XXIII COMBAT    WITH    SPEARS    BETWEEN    THE 

PRINCES     ......  197 

XXIV THE  COURT  AT  WAIPIO  .  .  .  203 

XXV — QUEEN  NAMAHANA'S  TRAGIC  STORY     .     209 

XXVI VIEW     OF    WAIPIO     VALLEY     FROM    THE 

PALI  .  .  .  .  .  .215 

XXVII — SATAN       CONFRONTING       THE       YOUNG 

PRINCE 222 

XXVIII KAAHUMANU          INTRIGUES         FOR         A 

THRONE      ......       233 

XXIX— THE   WAR  WITH  MAUI    ....       240 

XXX THE      COMING     AND      DEATH     OF  „  CAP- 
TAIN COOK 251 

XXXI — THE  QUARREL  OF  THE  PRINCES      .  .       268 

XXXII — HAWAII'S  NEW  KINGS  .  •  .         .     273 

XXXIII ROYAL        LOVERS      ON       THE      MOONLIT 

SHORE 285 

XXXIV — WAR    WITH    THE    KINGS    OF     HILO    AND 

KAU 292 

XXXV — THE  CONQUEST  OF  MAUI         .  .  .       302 

XXXVI — BRILLIANT     NAVAL     VICTORY     OF      KO- 

HALA 315 

XXXVII — THE     TRAGEDY      OF      KEOUA     AND     HIS 

ARMY  ......       321 

XXXVIII THE  TIME  OF  THE  GOOD  VANCOUVER  .     334 

XXXIX THE  INVASION  OF  OAHU       .        .        .    347 

XL THE    BATTLE    OF    NUUANU  :    KAIANA 

SLAIN 353 

XLI BATTLE  OF  THE  PALI  AND  DEATH  OF 

KALANI 367 

XLII — CONCLUSION 378 


KAMEHAMEHA  THE  GREAT. 


I. 

WAIMANU    VALLEY. 

WHEN  approaching  the  great  island  of  Hawaii 
from  the  sea,  one  is  enchanted  by  the  mystery 
and  majestic  beauty  of  its  three  gigantic  mountains,  one 
of  which  often  bursts  upon  the  delighted  vision  of  the 
weary  wanderer  while  yet  he  is  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
away.  Thus  they  appeared  to  their  discoverer,  Juan 
Gaetano,  when  approaching  "  La  Mesa  Islas  "  from  New 
Spain. 

Coming  from  the  eastward,  bowling  down  before  the 
strong  trade-wind,  with  every  white-breasted  sail  exulting 
in  the  breeze,  the  coast  line  is  usually  shut  out  from  view 
by  dark  nimbus  .clouds,  until  the  vessel  sails  quite  near 
in  to  the  land.  But  the  nimbus  is  an  earth-loving  cloud, 
which  never  rises  even  to  a  mile's  height,  and  one  must 
look  for  the  mountain  tops  above  even  the  fleecy-white 
cumuli,  which  often  creep  joyfully  up  the  mountain  side 
two  and  a  half  miles  high,  and  there  lie  slumbering  in  the 
sun,  like  sheep  in  a  fold. 

Mauna  Kea  is  generally  the  first  of  the  trio  of  moun- 
tains to  appear.  How  impatiently  we  wait  the  joyful  cry 
of  "  Land  O  !  "  on  that  eventful  day  !  With  what  thrills 


2  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

of  delight  we  at  length  behold  the  snow-crowned  moun- 
tains, looming  clear  and  distinct  above  a  sheeny-white 
cumulus,  and  glowing  like  the  silver  dome  of  some  temple 
of  the  gods  in  the  morning  sun  ! 

Silently  we  gaze  upon  the  mountain  crest,  awed  by  its 
vastness  and  sublimity,  and  made  humble  and  prayerful 
by  its  look  of  majestic  repose. 

How  softly  the  hoary-headed  monarch  lies  pillowed 
against  the  exquisite  turquoise  of  the  tranquil  sky,  brood- 
ing like  some  fabled  god  of  the  enchanted  isle  in  divine 
reverie  ! 

Drawing  near  to  the  windward  shores  of  Hawaii,  one  is 
amazed  at  the  countless  streams,  cascades,  and  gigantic 
waterfalls  that  tumble  seaward  ;  threading  the  evergreen 
slopes,  leaping  the  cliffs,  and  supplied  by  the  exhaustless 
reservoirs  of  mountain  snows.  The  tiny  rivulets  blend  in 
streams  ;  these  seek  companionship  in  torrents,  and  they 
in  turn  become  formidable  rivers.  One  and  all  run 
wildly  upon  devious  courses,  seeking  outlet  through  the 
numerous  ravines  that  are  riven  deeply  in  these  rock- 
bound  shores. 

These  deep,  dark  gorges,  originally  rent  by  earthquakes 
through  the  enormous  cliffs  of  the  iron-bound  coast, 
have  widened  with  time,  and  deepened  by  the  constant 
attrition  of  floods,  until  some  of  them  have  become  beauti- 
ful valleys. 

One  of  these,  the  charming  valley  of  Waipio,  or  "  Cap- 
tive Waters,"  had  been  the  seat  of  empire  for  the  ruling 
chiefs  and  kings  for  a  thousand  years.  It  is  still  the 
garden-land  of  this  ever  fruitful  island  of  Hawaii,  where 
flowers  and  fruits  blossom  and  ripen  throughout  the  year. 

But  it  is  not  to  the  Eden-land  of  Waipio  that  I  would 
now  draw  the  reader's  attention.  There  is  another  val- 


The  Stupendous  Pdli.  3 

ley,  deeper,  darker,  and  more  inaccessible,  which  we 
must  see  :  the  Valley  of  Waimanu,  where  the  heroic  sub- 
ject of  our  story  came  upon  the  scene  and  passed  his 
boyhood  days.  There  he  acquired  from  the  old  war- 
chiefs  of  the  valley  such  mastery  of  weapons  as  to  aston- 
ish the  island  world.  Very  few  of  its  people  had  ever 
heard  of  such  a  person  as  Kamehameha*  until  he  stalked 
proudly  into  their  midst  at  a  mighty  tournament  of 
kings,  and  took  rank  as  a  knight-errant  against  all  com- 
petitors of  his  own  age. 

This  romantic  and  inaccessible  valley  of  Waimanu — 
the  opening  scene  of  our  story — is  one  of  the  numerous 
river-washed  ravines  on  the  windward  coast  of  Hawaii, 
and  is  undoubtedly  the  most  remarkable  human  abode 
in  the  knowledge  of  man  ;  the  deepest,  greenest,  weird- 
est valley  in  the  world.  It  is  one  of  the  sixty  profound 
chasms  originally  rent  by  the  primal  earthquakes  during 
the  parturient  throes  of  the  embryo  island.  An  amazing 
fissure,  cleft  into  the  basalt  a  half  mile  deep,  extend- 
ing three  miles  back  into  the  coast-flank  of  Mauna. 
Kea.  Walled  in  as  it  is  on  three  sides  by  a  stupendous 
pdli  (precipice)  of  gray  lava-rock — grown  gray  by  the 
fret  of  ages — with  a  perpendicular  height  of  from  two  to 
three  thousand  feet  above  the  valley,  surely  none  but 
winged  creatures,  or  some  desperate  adventurer,  would 
seek  to  pass  its  barriers,  either  from  the  land  above,  or 
from  the  vale  below. 

Yet  these  rocky  battlements  are  not  bereft  of  vegeta- 
tion, for,  strange  to  say,  from  every  chink  spring  hardy 
grasses  and  tender  ferns,  while  from  out  the  deeper  clefts 
in  the  precipitous  walls  grow  stunted  shrubs,  and  occa- 

*  This  name,  often  mispronounced,  is  to  be  sounded  Kah-may-hah- 
may-hah  :  it  is  thus  pronounced  by  the  islanders  themselves. 


4  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

sionally  stout  trees,  like  the  silvery  kilkiii  or  candle-nut 
tree,  and  the  gnarled  pandanus  or  screw-pine,  whose 
hundred  aerial  roots  serve  well  to  brace  and  support  the 
venturesome  tree.  It  grows  where  no  other  plant  of  its 
size  could  cling. 

The  narrow  water-front  of  Waimanu  Valley  opens 
through  gigantic  crags  upon  the  blue  Pacific.  Here  its 
scant  mile  of  pebbly  beach  and  frequent  boulders  is 
strongly  barricaded  by  sharp  black  lava  rocks,  threaten- 
ing destruction  to  all  comers  from  the  sea.  And  as  if  to 
make  the  strong  valley  doubly  secure,  the  most  gigantic 
surf  of  the  whole  rock-bound  coast  thunders  angrily 
against  these  caverned  cliffs,  its  billows  floundering  like 
hungry  demons  on  the  black-pebbled  shore. 

It  is  indeed  a  strange  habitation  for  man  ;  it  is  a  darkly 
beautiful  sight,  whether  we  look  down  from  its  highest 
pdii,  four  thousand  feet  above  its  numerous  villages  of 
neat  grass  houses,  showing  small  as  beehives  from  the 
cliff,  and  built  along  the  flowery  banks  of  the  smooth- 
flowing  river  or  embowered  among  the  shrubbery,  or 
whether  we  peer  into  the  deep  cool  valley  from  the  hot 
sunshine  of  the  wave-rocked  ocean. 

From  the  sea  how  cool  and  inviting  are  the  dark 
shadows  of  the /#'///  Looking  through  the  long,  droop- 
ing fronds  of  the  palms  that  grow  thickly  along  the 
shingly  beach,  the  reedy  banks  of  the  shallow  river  are 
seen  clothed  in  brightest  verdure.  The  rich  meadow- 
lands  and  thrifty  taro  patches  reach  back  to  the  cliff. 
The  river-houses  are  embowered  among  dark-leaved 
bread-fruit,  the  red-leaved  ohia  and  flowering  hau  trees  ; 
the  houses  back  in  the  fields  are  almost  hidden  from 
view  by  the  dense  growth  of  bananas,  guavas,  and 
sugar-cane.  And  still  other  houses  of  the  lordly  chiefs 


Waimdnu  from  the  Sea.  5 

are  surrounded  with  clusters  of  palms,  and  groves  of 
fruit-laden  orange  and  papaya  trees,  the  last  two  being 
exotics  brought  hither  a  century  since  by  Spanish  voya- 
gers from  other  tropic  lands. 

Seen  thus  from  the  sea,  the  profile  view  of  the  towering 
precipice  along  the  valley  sides  seems  everywhere  green 
with  tenacious  grasses  and  hardy  shrubs  ;  while  tough 
vines,  strong  as  cables,  hang  pendent  over  the  cliff, 
swaying  in  the  wind  five  hundred  feet  from  where  they 
are  rooted  deep  in  the  crevices,  for  a  century's  growth. 
It  is  but  an  unsatisfying  glimpse  one  catches  while  thus 
sailing  by  this  enticing  solitude,  but  it  is  all-sufficient  to 
arouse  one's  deepest  curiosity  in  the  weird,  wild  mysteries 
of  by-gone  ages  which  have  been  enacted  here  !  It  now 
becomes  our  province  to  search  out  the  most  romantic 
of  these  old  histories,  and  impart  them  to  the  world. 

With  reference  to  the  narrative,  a  knowledge  of  the 
extreme  upper  valley  of  Waimanu,  with  its  marvellous 
surroundings,  is  most  needful  for  a  clear  understanding 
of  coming  events. 

Standing  on  the  mountain  side  three  miles  inland,  we 
look  down  upon  five  stupendous  cataracts,  leaping  over 
the  black  pdli  into  the  wooded  vale  below, — three  thou- 
sand feet  of  unimpeded  fall.  So  high  are  these  magnifi- 
cent falls,  that  they  seem  rather  to  burst  headlong  from 
the  clear  blue  sky,  than  to  flow  from  the  snows  above 
that  veil  the  seven  eternal  snow-crests  of  Mauna  Kea. 

Waimanu  is  the  scene  of  the  first  Spanish  wreck  upon 
these  islands.  Many  a  wreck  strewed  the  rock-bound 
shores  of  Hawaii  when  adventurous  men  began  their 
traffic  between  the  gold  mines  of  Mexico  and  the  spice 
isles  of  the  East  Indies. 

Here  the  old  Spanish  priest,  Paao,  was  shipwrecked 


6  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

on  Waimdnu  rocks,  during  the  stormy  year  of  1527,*  and 
was  the  only  survivor  of  a  numerous  crew.  The  quaint 
galleon  had  belonged  to  the  famed  navy  of  Spain,  and 
was  one  of  three  stout  vessels  selected  to  bear  the  costly 
shrines,  images,  and  cathedral  decorations  of  gold  sent 
from  Acapulco  to  Manila.  Two  of  the  three  treasure 
vessels  were  lost  upon  these  yet  unknown  islands. 

Finding  himself  the  sole  survivor — with  the  exception 
of  several  hogs  and  dogs,  which,  not  being  weighted  with 
bullion,  reached  the  river  mouth  in  safety — the  wise  old 
priest  set  about  making  himself  popular  with  the  hospi- 
table people  of  this  unknown  land.  His  first  act  of  im- 
portance was  to  induce  his  followers  to  build  a  strong- 
walled  heidu,  the  first  heathen  temple  of  its  kind  built  on 
Hawaii. f 

This  temple,  called  Mukini,  was  of  great  strength.  It 
had  walls  twenty  feet  thick,  and  was  built  ostensibly  for 
a  "  City  of  Refuge  "  in  times  of  war — and  when  was  not 
war  raging  in  this  turbulent  land  ? 

Assuming  control  of  this  sacerdotal  castle  from  the 
first,  and  daily  increasing  his  authority  over  the  super- 
stitious people  by  a  display  of  occult  arts  and  by 
foretelling  astronomical  events,  Paao  gave  his  own  glit- 
tering shrines,  altars,  and  sacred  images  to  the  fabulous 
gods  of  the  Hawaiians. 

Thus,  with  artful  dissembling  from  the  outset,  this 
crafty  old  priest  also  adopted  the  vile  Tabii  rule  of  the 
country — then  too  revolting  to  bear  description  by  a 

*  The  Hawaiian  Islands  were  subsequently  discovered  in  1555  by- 
Juan  Gaetano,  of  Spain.  The  vessel  wrecked  in  1527  was  the  "  Santa 
lago,"  one  of  Don  Alvaro  de  Saavedra's  fleet.  See  "  Spanish 
Archives." 

\  The  more  ancient  Heiaus  were  flat-topped  pyramids,  not  walled 
enclosures. 


P&do  the  Spanish  Priest.  7 

Christian  pen.*  Modifying  its  lustful  tenets,  and  enno- 
bling its  heathenish  rites,  Paao  restrained  the  frightful 
practice  of  kdpu  kdne  or  human  sacrifices.  And,  as  much 
as  a  foreigner  dared,  he  endeavored  to  bring  the  chiefs 
to  use  greater  humanity  toward  their  inferiors,  and  more 
courteous  language  and  affability  of  manner  among 
themselves.  And  that  Paao  attained  to  a  considerable 
degree  of  success  in  all  these  delicate  innovations,  shows 
that  he  was  of  no  common  order  of  man. 

Marrying  a  royal  chiefess  of  great  rank  among  her 
people,  and  of  rare  wisdom  and  beauty,  Paao,  the  cleri- 
cal celibate  in  his  own  country,  begot  children  as  famous 
as  himself.  Among  the  most  noted  of  his  progeny  was 
Opili,  whose  descendants  have  ever  since  presided  over 
the  Mukmi,\  and  many  other  heidus  in  distant  parts  of 
the  island. 

It  was  this  noble  line  of  chief-priests  that  eventually 
ennobled  their  class.  They  raised  it  from  the  standing 
of  the  vile  magicians  and  sorcerers  who  ranked  below 

*  The  antiquity  of  the  Tabu  system  is  coeval  with  the  superstitions 
of  Polynesia.  A  more  cogent  religious  despotism  could  not  have  been 
devised  by  heathen  ingenuity.  Unless  powerful  friends  interfered, 
the  slightest  breach  of  these  ecclesiastical  restrictions  was  punished 
with  death.  Some  were  burned,  strangled,  or  despatched  with  clubs 
or  stones  ;  others  were  sacrificed  in  a  more  dreadful  manner  by  scoop- 
ing out  the  eyes,  breaking  their  limbs,  or  other  exquisite  torture,  in- 
flicted for  days  before  the  final  stroke  was  given.  Jarves' "  History," 
p.  57  ;  Ellis'  "  History,"  p.  367. 

f  While  traditions  agree  that  Paao  landed  on  Hawaii  before  the 
reign  of  Umi,  they  differ  as  to  where  he  was  wrecked.  Some  native 
historians  assert  that  he  first  landed  in  Puna  ;  but  while  the  majority 
agree  that  the  wreck  occurred  on  Kohala  coast,  they  differ  as  to  the 
exact  spot.  Most  authorities  fix  it  at  Puuepa,  rather  than  Waimanu. 
But  we  have  assumed  the  author's  right  in  matters  that  are  indiffer- 
ent, and  have  chosen  the  latter  place  as  best  answering  the  purpose 
of  our  story. 


8  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

the  petty  chiefs,  to  the  high  caste  of  the  Alii  Kapu,  or 
tabii  chiefs,  who  were  second  only  to  the  members  of 
the  royal  family.  Among  the  most  famous  of  all  this 
long  line  of  kahiina  maole — high-caste  priests — none 
were  ever  more  deservedly  popular  than  Wailele,  the 
beautiful  Priestess  of  Mukini,  the  prophetess  and  spir- 
itual adviser  of  wise  old  kings  from  all  the  islands. 


II. 

WAIL^LE THE  ROMANCE  OF  HER  BIRTH. 

WAIL^LE,  the  Priestess  of  this  famous  temple  of 
Hawaii,  was  the  child  of  her  father's  old  age. 
Born  an  Alii pio  nuiy  she  was  of  the  highest  possible  rank, 
with  one  exception.  Only  an  Alii  Niaupio — 2.  e.,  one  born 
of  a  married  brother  and  sister  who  were  themselves  of 
the  highest  rank,  was  yet  more  exalted.  Wailele  was 
reared  in  pious  seclusion  and  with  the  utmost  tenderness 
during  her  adolescent  years. 

The  story  of  the  Priestess'  birth  is  a  romance  in  itself, 
and  so  well  illustrates  the  strange  customs  of  the  times 
that  it  is  well  worth  relating.  So  exalted  was  the  rank  of 
this  tabued  chiefess,  that  the  sun  was  never  permitted  to 
shine  upon  her.  Nor  was  she  allowed  to  wander  in  the 
fields,  unless  the  sun  was  too  low  to  touch  her  sacred 
head,  lest  its  beams  should  blemish  her  exquisite  com- 
plexion. 

Though  the  real  mystery  of  Wailele's  birth  was  known 
to  but  few  in  her  day,  yet  the  most  famous  bards  of  her 
time  learned  enough  of  her  history  to  compose  chants 
and  weave  charming  legends  about  her  wisdom  and 
beauty.  One  of  these  enthusiastic  poets  has  given  her 
a  euphonious  name  in  one  of  his  melodious  me/es,  a  name 
containing  as  many  letters  as  the  English  alphabet.* 

*  Before  Kalola  became  the  wife  of  Keoua,  and  the  queen  of  Kalani- 

9 


io  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

Wailele's  father,  Wahupu,  the  great  High-Priest  of  the 
temple  of  Mukini,  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Paao,  and 
the  highest  high-caste  priest  of  Hawaii.  His  prophecies 
were  much  sought  after  by  old  and  young  throughout 
the  islands.  Kings,  chiefs,  and  most  noble  chiefesses 
made  frequent  pilgrimages  to  Waimanu,  seeking  some 
divination  from  Wahupu's  auguries,  or  marvellous  pre- 
diction from  his  occult  art  ;  for  he  alone  of  all  the  land 
could  predict  the  coming  occultation  of  a  star,  or  an 
eclipse  of  the  sweet-faced  moon. 

It  was  an  age  of  great  gallantry  at  all  the  island  courts. 
Blood-rank  was  esteemed  above  all  other  worldly  posses- 
sions. The  noble-born  of  both  sexes  visited  from  court 
to  court,  accompanied  by  their  household  bards  to  chant 
their  family  Ndne,  or  pedigree,  seeking  to  secure  the 
noblest  mate,  thus  to  exalt  their  children  a  degree  higher 
in  rank.  For  it  was  an  irrevocable  rule  of  the  great  Ahu 
Alii — "  Council  of  Nobles," — that  a  chief,  whatever  sta- 
tion in  life  he  might  acquire  by  meritorious  deeds,  could 
assume  no  higher  rank  among  them  than  that  to  which 
he  was  born.  But  the  most  singular  feature  of  the 
Hawaiian  system  was  the  following  :  A  child  took  rank 
from  its  mother,  rather  than  its  father.  A  chiefess  was 
therefore  privileged  to  pay  court  to  whomsoever  she 
would.  It  was  by  no  means  deemed  indelicate  for  a 
noble  lady  of  royal  family  to  "  prospect  "  for  a  husband 
in  a  foreign  court. 

The  most  beautiful  princess  of  her  time  was  Kalola, 
the  highest  tabd  chiefess  of  the  Maui  court.  She  was  a 
descendant,  through  her  mother,  of  a  long  line  of  Ha- 

opuu,  she  became  mother  of  a  girl  (no  parentage  given)  named 
Kalanikauikikilokalaniakua,  one  of  the  highest  tabii  chiefesses,  on 
whom  the  sun  was  not  permitted  to  shine. — Fornander's  "  Polynesian 
Races,"  vol.  II.,  p.  212. 


The  Romantic  Marriage.  1 1 

waiian  queens,  chiefesses  who  ruled  in  their  own  right, 
or  were  coordinate  with  a  king  of  less  rank  than  them- 
selves. Kalola's  father  was  the  great  king  Kekaulike  ; 
her  mother  was  Queen  Kekuiapoiwa  Nui,  a  daughter  of 
Keawe,  of  Hawaii.  The  princess  was  also  sister  to  the 
famous  Kahekili. 

Her  father's  court  was  thus  much  frequented  by  gal- 
lants from  the  other  islands,  who  came  to  seek  her  hand. 
Being  of  a  religious  turn  of  mind,  and  having  scruples 
about  marrying  either  of  her  brothers — the  usual  method 
of  imparting  exalted  rank  to  the  progeny, — Kalola  left 
Maui  and  came  to  Waimanu,  seeking  a  wandna  or  proph- 
ecy— from  the  venerable  Wahupu  of  Mukini. 

Wise  and  beautiful,  Kalola  wished  a  good  husband, 
that  she  might  rear  a  chieftain  imbued  with  her  own 
noble  qualities  ;  one  who  could  redeem  his  country  from 
useless  wars  and  the  cruel  persecution  of  the  people. 

Solemnly  entering  upon  his  auguries,  after  profound 
deliberation  with  the  princess,  Wahupu  uttered  this 
divination  : 

"  The  chiefs  of  Maui  are  brave  and  warlike,  but  they 
are  far  too  treacherous  and  cruel  ever  to  better  the  con- 
dition of  their  country.  Alas!  I  foresee  that  the  dynasty 
of  Maui  will  end  within  the  memory  of  living  men. 
Wed  not  with  the  princes  of  the  doomed  house  of  your 
father.  There  are  noble  chiefs  of  Hawaii  with  whom 
Kalola  may  beget  children.  In  the  second  generation, 
their  progeny  shall  rule  over  all  the  Eight  Isles  ;  and 
their  posterity  shall  rule  for  a  century  of  time." 

In  further  talk  with  Kalola,  the  priest  advocated 
Kalaniopuu  and  his  handsome  brother  Keoua  as  suitors 
offering  the  best  qualifications  for  good  husbands, — as 
princes  by  whom  it  were  possible  to  bear  children  that 
the  gods  would  bless  with  redeeming  qualities. 


12  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  her  ardor  for  a  hero  Kalola.did 
subsequently  marry  each  and  both  of  these  royal  chiefs. 
Many  days  passed  in  these  pious  deliberations  at  the 
great  heidu  of  Mukini.  The  marvellous  beauties  of  the 
historic  valley  of  Waimanu,  together  with  the  saintlike 
gentleness  and  purity  of  Wahupu's  holy  life  at  the 
temple,  completely  captivated  this  high-born  princess, 
until,  most  strange  to  tell,  she  lost  her  young  heart  to  the 
priest,  and  demanded — as  was  her  birthright — that  the 
holy  man  should  himself  take  her  to  wife,  and  beget  the 
child  of  promise  which  she  so  ardently  desired. 

The  result  of  this  romantic  marriage  was  a  high-born 
girl,  afterwards  a  tabu  chiefess,  named  Kekuiapoiwa 
after  Kalola's  queen  mother,  Kekuiapoiwa.  The  Chris- 
tian name,  Wailele  (water-fall),  was  subsequently  added 
to  the  family  name  because  of  the  proximity  to  the  vast 
cataracts,  which  Kalola  loved  so  well. 

So  great  were  Kalola's  regrets  that  her  pious  marriage 
had  not  been  blessed  with  a  chief,  that  with  the  tenderest 
affection,  Wahupu  admonished  his  loved  young  wife  to 
leave  the  temple  and  seek  in  the  gay  court  of  the  bril- 
liant Alapai  Nui  a  husband  more  fitted  to  be  her  mate. 
There  Keoiia  and  Kalaniopuu  had  been  established  from 
their  youth.  Alapai  married  their  mother,  and  usurped 
their  kingdom  ;  and  having  killed  Keoria's  father  in 
battle,  a  weakling  king,  not  hardy  and  warlike  enough 
for  the  rough-handed  times  in  which  he  lived,  the  mon- 
arch now  sought  to  cherish  the  royal  boys.* 

Putting  Wailele  in  the  care  of  a  kdhu — guardian — 
who  had  been  her  own  nurse,  and  receiving  the  farewell 

*  Or,  perhaps,  to  spy  upon  their  political  ability,  for  Keoiia  was 
subsequently  poisoned  at  Alapai's  court.  Fornander's  ' '  Polynesian 
Races,"  p.  142. 


The  Romantic  Marriage.  1 3 

blessings  of  her  noble  priest-husband,  Kalola  departed 
for  the  Hawaiian  court,  at  Waipio,  ten  miles  away. 
There  she  wedded  the  noble  prince  Keoua.  But  again 
the  beautiful  princess  was  doomed  to  disappointment ; 
she  bore  a  chiefess,  and  named  her  Liliha.  Again 
assuming  the  right  of  her  high  rank,  she  left  Keoua  and 
married  Kalaniopuu,  who,  at  the  death  of  Alapai  soon 
after,  became  king  of  Hawaii. 

Years  passed  before  Kalola  bore  another  child,  the 
frivolous  and  petulant  Kiwalao,  who  was  far  removed 
from  a  hero  and  a  conqueror.  But  the  methods  of  the 
gods  often  accomplish  their  ends  in  indirect  ways. 
Kalola  lived  to  see  her  two  daughters  bear  progeny  who 
in  turn  became  the  future  king  and  queen  of  the  united 
kingdoms.* 

Liliha  became  the  mother  of  Keopuolani,  the  future 
state  queen  of  Kamehameha,  and  the  mother  of  two 
kings.  Wailele  bore  the  long-looked-for  hero,  whose 
praises  bards  had  sung  in  many  an  epic  chant  before  he 
was  born.  The  prophecy  of  many  a  venerated  priest 
had  foretold  his  coming. 

Thus  in  an  indirect  way,  the  famous  wandna  or 
prophecy  of  Wahupu  proved  a  faithful  prediction,  when 
he  declared  to  Kalola  :  "  A  conquering  hero  shall  be 
born  to  you,  in  the  second  generation,  who  shall  rule  over 
the  "  Eight  Isles  "  and  better  the  condition  of  the  people. 

*  Queen  Kalola  fled  to  Molokai  after  the  battle  of  lao,  in  which 
Kamehameha  destroyed  the  Maui  army  and  took  possession  of  the 
kingdom.  There  Kamehameha  sought  an  interview  with  the  queen, 
and  begged  that  she  and  her  daughter,  Liliha,  and  her  granddaugh- 
ter, Keopuolani,  would  go  back  to  Hawaii.  Kalola  consented,  but 
was  taken  sick  and  died  before  she  could  jeave  Molokai.  Her  fami- 
ly and  followers  returned  with  Kamehameha  to  Hawaii,  where  Keo- 
puolani became  the  state  queen,  and  bore  the  two  kings  that  suc- 
ceeded Kamehameha. — "Polynesian  Races." 


III. 

THE    MYSTERY    OF    A    HUNDRED    YEARS. 

r  I  ^HE  rosy  dawn  of  a  tropic  day  was  fast  nearing  the 
mountain  isle  of  Hawaii.  The  summer  moon, 
now  nearly  at  her  full,  had  gone  down  over  Mauna  Kea's 
lofty  snow-crest,  fringing  the  snow  peaks  of  the  gigantic 
mountain  with  a  halo  of  violet,  crimson,  and  palest  gold. 

A  reflection  of  this  weird  lunar  light  shone  upward  into 
the  purple  sky  above  the  mountain,  showing  verily  like 
some  half-disclosed  vision  of  glory  in  the  realm  beyond 
the  stars. 

Just  at  the  opportune  moment  before  the  waning  moon- 
light was  quenched  in  the  east,  the  tall  figure  of  a  gigan- 
tic chief  suddenly  appeared  on  the  southern  brink  of  the 
precipice  which  walls  in  the  upper  valley  of  Waimanu. 
This  pdli  was  made  dreadful  by  its  stupendous  height — 
nearly  a  half  mile  of  perpendicular  cliff, — but  yet  more 
so  by  its  cruel  tabu  law  of  Death  to  all  comers  below  the 
rank  of  tabil  chief.  This  ban  was  promulgated  two  hun- 
dred years  before  the  date  of  our  story,  by  the  arrogant 
high-caste  priests  of  the  temple  of  Mukini,  in  the  vale 
below. 

The  well-defined  outline  of  this  adventurous  person 
was  only  seen  for  a  moment  in  the  moon-setting  ere  he  was 
again  hidden  from  view  by  that  mysterious  hour  of  dark- 
ness which  ever  preludes  a  tropic  dawn.  Yet,  alas,  even 
such  a  moment  of  disclosure  had  cost  many  a  common 

14 


The  Tabued  Pdli.  15 

man  and  petty  chief  his  life,  for  thus  spying  down  upon 
this  most  ancient  of  all  the  tabued  heidus  of  Pele.  The 
upper  valley  was  hedged  in  by  a  dreadful  kapu  e  make 
(death  tabu).  But  the  penalty  for  spying  down  upon  it 
was  not  simply  death  ;  it  was  death  accompanied  by  tor- 
tures too  fiendish  to  relate. 

Some  historians  have  claimed  that  even  a  tabti  chief, 
being  exempt  from  the  ban  of  the  tabu,  would  not  have 
risked  prowling  about  the  verge  of  a  frightful  precipice 
in  the  darkest  of  all  darkness,  an  hour  before  dawn  ; 
and  it  is  well  known  that  few  common  Kanakas  have  suf- 
ficient courage  to  risk  the  kapu  e  make,  when  prompted  by 
mere  curiosity.  Moreover,  this  superstitious  class  not 
only  knew  of  the  pdli's  being  guarded  by  \\\Qpepehi  kdne 
— men-killers — of  the  priests  ;  they  also  believed  that 
there  was  a  yet  more  dreadful  enemy  to  contend  with  in 
the  lynx-eyed  Invisibles  in  the  service  of  the  gods. 
These  were  malicious  creatures  who  delight  in  cruelty  to 
man.  There  was  also,  so  they  believed,  a  black  demon, 
made  up  of  darkness  and  lava  fire,  having  eyes  lurid  with 
consuming  flame  ;  a  demon  so  noiseless  in  movement, 
that  he  would  steal  upon  the  spy  and  hurl  him  headlong 
over  the  cliff  before  he  could  glance  into  the  sacred  vale. 

The  natives  also  knew  that  if  they  should  escape  the 
boding  watch-fiends  of  the/^7/  they  were  sure  to  be  de- 
tected by  the  dreadful  kilo,  or  sorcerers,  who  are  never 
content  but  when  praying  people  to  death.  They  dis- 
covered the  guilty  ones  by  the  trick  of  wai-halulu,  the 
"  shaking  waters,"  or  by  roasting  some  beast-offering 
over  fires  of  poisonous  wood. 

The  stranger  on  the  pdli  came  from  the  direction  of 
Waipio,  ten  miles  away.  There  Kalaniopuu  held  his 
barbaric  court,  and  gathered  about  him  his  most  notable 


1 6  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

chiefs,  after  the  cunning  custom  of  other  kings,  lest  some 
of  the  most  turbulent  of  the  haughty  nobles  should  find 
time  to  plot  against  his  peaceful  rule. 

Who  was  this  chieftain  that  had  taken  a  two-hours' 
walk  from  Waipio  in  the  moonlight,  and  had  timed  his 
arrival  upon  the  brink  of  a  dangerous  precipice  just  be- 
fore dawn  ?  This  has  been  a  grave  matter  of  dispute 
among  native  historians  for  a  century  past. 

That  he  was  among  the  noblest  of  chiefs  and  most  gal- 
lant of  men,  all  have  agreed.  For  he  alone  successfully 
descended  the  tabued  precipice  of  Mukini,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  winning  the  vestal  love  of  the  beautiful 
Priestess,  so  famed  throughout  the  land. 

Numerous  other  chiefs  had  visited  the  noted  heiau, 
ostensibly  to  procure  oracles  in  matters  of  state.  Their 
visits  had  ended  in  prayers  of  love  to  the  maiden 
Priestess  ;  but  without  once  touching  her  obdurate  heart. 
Among  the  host  of  the  wooers,  three  at  least  of  the  gal- 
lants were  kings,  one  of  whom,  it  is  now  universally  be- 
lieved, was  the  successful  wooer  of  this  most  charming 
celibate  of  Mukini. 

The  new-comer  was  evidently  a  stranger  to  the  peril- 
ous path  that  he  secretly  traversed.  He  groped  watch- 
fully and  warily  along  the  dizzy  brink,  lest  he  should  be 
discovered  from  below.  But  his  manner  of  grasping  his 
huge  war-spear,  and  occasionally  clutching  the  hilt  of  his 
long  dagger,  as  he  glanced  sharply  about  him  at  the 
rustling  of  the  wind,  or  a  falling  stone,  was  that  of  a  man 
who  feared  neither  visible  nor  invisible  foes,  if  only  he 
were  warned  of  their  coming. 

Planting  the  polished  staff  of  his  curiously  carved 
war-spear  against  the  crumbling  lava-rock  before  him, 
he  felt  his  way  cautiously  through  the  stunted  fern  bush 


The  Mysterious  Chief.  17 

and  scanty  growth  of  hardy  grasses  that  found  precarious 
life  on  the  barren  verge  of  the  cliff. 

The  point  sought  by  the  wary  chief  was  evidently  a 
huge  pandanus  or  screw-pine,  which  marks  the  lowest 
part  of  the  precipice  along  the  whole  three  miles  of 
southern  pdli.  A  remarkable  tree  was  this  great  pan- 
danus, for  it  had  already  grown  a  long  century  of  peril- 
ous years,  thus  leaning  out  over  the  frightful  gulf. 
Among  the  few  daring  spirits  in  the  past  ages  who  had 
descended  to  the  valley,  here  two  thousand  feet  deep, 
many  had  found  their  well-earned  graves,  now  marked 
by  a  darker  green  and  a  thriftier  growth  of  flowers. 

As  it  was  yet  too  dark  for  a  stranger  to  grope  about  in 
search  of  a  particular  object,  the  majestic  chief  came  to 
a  stand  beneath  a  small  kiikiii,  or  candle-nut  tree,  and 
leaning  thoughtfully  on  his  stout  spear,  looked  down  with 
eager  eyes  and  swelling  bosom  upon  the  wondrous  vision 
of  beauty  in  the  vague  half-light  below. 

Sombre  and  silent  the  stalking  shadows  crouched  over 
the  whole  sweep  of  this  priest-ridden  valley.  Its  funereal 
stillness  was  everywhere  peopled  with  the  dark-boding 
spirits  of  disembodied  souls.  They  had  been  sacrificed 
by  the  murderous  priests  of  Pele,  the  supreme  but  venge- 
ful goddess  of  the  isles.* 

The  Hawdiians  believe  there  are  dual  souls  ;  and  there 
is  a  universal  belief  that  after  death  one  soul  flies  to  its 
abode  in  Akea,  the  land  of  the  blessed,  where  spirits  feed 
on  lizards  and  butterflies  ;  or,  if  it  is  a  bad  soul,  its 
abode  is  in  Po,  the  place  of  night,  where  they  are  forever 
cooked  and  eaten  by  the  gods  ;  while  the  ghost  of  the 
second  soul  always  lingers  on  earth,  gently  ministering  to 

*The  Hawaiians  cherish  the  idea  of  the  Au  Makua — ghost-spirits 
of  dead  ancestors — ever  being  present. 


1 8  Kam/hamJka  the  Great. 

the  loved  ones.  But  more  especially  does  this  ghost  de- 
light to  haunt  dark  places  and  sepulchres,  stealing  abroad 
at  night  to  strangle  the  enemies  of  the  dead  during  sleep, 
and  to  inflict  all  manner  of  harm  on  those  who  speak 
evil  of  the  dead.* 

Well  might  the  superstitious  chief  shudder  with  awe, 
as  he  peered  down  into  the  ghoul-haunted  valley  at  this 
unseasonable  hour.  It  was  strange  to  think  of  thousands 
of  innocent  human  beings  slumbering  in  the  unearthly 
stillness  below,  all  unmindful  of  the  spirit-peopled  gloom 
about  them  ;  sleeping  as  peacefully  as  the  countless 
dead  slept  who  were  sepulchred  in  the  black  caverns 
high  upon  the  pdli  walls,  sealed  up  in  rocky  tombs  hid- 
den behind  the  curves  of  the  plunging  cataracts.  The 
ceaseless  rumble  of  the  falls  serves  well  to  drown  the 
wails  of  these  unwilling  dead,  these  murdered  victims  of 
the  altar,  secreted  there  by  priestly  hands  in  unhallowed 
graves. 

Directly  beneath  the  stranger  lay  the  Mukini,  half 
veiled  in  the  gloom,  the  far-famed  temple  built  in  past 
centuries  by  the  Spanish  priest,  Paao. 

The  tabti  grounds  belonging  to  Mukini  were  about  a 
mile  square,  highly  cultivated  with  gardens  and  taro 
patches,  and  adorned  with  the  rarest  of  flowering  shrubs, 
and  the  largest  and  most  thrifty  fruit-trees  known  in  all 
the  land.  These  consecrated  grounds  are  shut  in  from 

*  Dibble  relates  a  case  in  point.  "  The  following  may  serve  as  an 
instance  of  this  belief.  One  dark  night  I  heard  a  horrid  shriek  in 
the  street.  A  strong,  athletic  man  was  running  with  all  speed,  both 
hands  clutching  at  his  throat,  endeavoring  to  tear  some  imaginary 
ghost  away.  He  reached  our  house,  burst  through  the  door,  and  felt 
on  the  floor  terrified  to  faintness  and  insensibility.  He  said  the  ghost 
of  a  dead  chief  had  a  grip  on  his  throat,  and  was  trying  to  strangle 
him." — "  Sandwich  Islands,"  p.  99. 


The  Mysterious  Chief.  19 

intrusion  of  the  outer  world  by  a  half-mile  belt  of  impene- 
trable forest,  which  reached  from  cliff  to  cliff  across  the 
whole  width  of  the  valley. 

The  only  accessible  entrance  through  this  dense  ever- 
glade of  forest-trees  and  tangled  vines  is  by  wading  up 
the  shallow  waters  of  the  gently  running  river.  But 
even  this  inviting  water-gate  is  guarded  by  a  dread  line 
of  tabued  flags  planted  on  the  river  banks  at  the  forest 
edge,  and  out  in  mid-stream,  a  warning  of  "  Death  to 
All."  *  So  that  below  the  rank  of  Alii  Kapu — tabu  chief 
— none  of  all  the  ten  thousand  people  of  Waimanu  dared 
ascend  the  sacred  water-path. 

There  are  times,  however,  when  this  extreme  restric- 
tion is  modified  so  as  to  permit  chiefs  of  a  lower  rank, 
with  their  families,  to  attend  during  feast-days,  and  on 
the  Makahiki — the  New-Year's  festival  at  the  heidu. 

The  one  sublime  object  which  most  attracts  the  stranger 
on  the  pall,  as  he  gazes  into  the  deep,  dark  vale,  is  the 
fivefold  cataract  plunging  like  a  milky-way  from  the 
starlit  sky.  The  glassy  curves  of  the  water-falls  reflect 
the  starlight  so  brightly  that  they  illuminate  the  ghostly 
gloom.  Like  the  white  hand  of  an  avenging  God,  its 
five  shining  fingers  clutch  downward  through  the  dark- 
ness toward  the  ghost-spirits  of  the  inhuman  priests,  who 
are  said  still  to  haunt  the  unhallowed  scenes  of  their  long- 
past  crimes. 

At  length  day  dawned  upon  the  cheerful  upper  world, 
revealing  the  statuesque  figure  of  the  chief.  Spear  in 
hand,  he  stood  on  the  sun-gilded  verge  of  the  precipice  ; 
a  large  grand-looking  man  of  fifty  well-kept  years,  of 
noble  mien  and  most  commanding  presence.  His  long 

*  The  priests  used  small  white  flags  to  tabu  property  and  places. — 
Jarves'  "  History,"  p.  56. 


2O  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

black  hair  waved  gently  in  the  cool  damp  breeze  that 
welled  upward  from  the  depths  of  the  pdli.  His  only  in- 
signia of  rank  were  a  lei  and  niho  palaoa,  worn  about  his 
neck.  These  ornaments,  wrought  from  one  large  and 
two  small  whale  teeth,  were  of  great  value  in  those  days  ; 
they  were  enough  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle,  in  a  coming 
year  when  king  met  king  at  Keei,  contending  for  a  king- 
dom. He  was  armed  with  a  stout  spear  and  a  long  Koa- 
wood  dagger,  edged  with  sharks'  teeth.  A  gay-colored 
garment  of  tapa  was  flung  carelessly  across  his  left 
shoulder,  and  knotted  loosely  beneath  the  right  arm, 
deftly  arranged  so  as  to  conceal  his  insignia.  His  only 
other  article  of  apparel  was  that  worn  by  all  men,  the 
malo,  a  strip  of  bark  cloth  girded  about  the  loins,  and 
passed  between  the  thighs.  This  served  also  for  a  belt 
for  a  dagger  nearly  two  feet  long. 

Nothing  was  visible  in  the  simple  garb  of  the  stranger 
to  denote  whether  he  were  priest,  chief,  or  king ;  yet  in  his 
haughty  bearing  there  was  evidence  enough  of  rank. 
But  a  humble  man  dared  not,  on  peril  of  his  life,  wear 
even  the  kihei,  or  tapa  cape,  which  clothed  him. 

Though  he  lacked  the  golden-yellow  mamo,  or  feather 
cloak,*  the  state  robe  of  the  Hawaiian  kings,  or  even  the 
red  mama  of  high-priest  or  lordly  chief,  yet  in  the  half- 
nude  Hawaiian  before  us,  we  behold  a  man  of  mark  in 
the  state,  a  mighty  warrior  in  the  hour  of  battle.  He  was 
a  man  who  carries  his  nobility  in  his  right  arm  and  in  his 

*  Some  of  the  gorgeous  war  cloaks  of  kings,  sun-gold  in  color,  re- 
quired nine  generations  to  fabricate.  But  two  tiny  feathers  are  found 
beneath  each  wing  of  the  O-o,  and  the  liwi.  The  birds  are  caught  by 
smearing  their  perches  with  a  gum  from  the  bread-fruit  tree,  and  are 
given  their  liberty  after  the  feathers  are  plucked.  The  stems  of  the 
rare  feathers  are  woven  into  the  fine  network  of  a  previously  formed 
cape. 


The  Huge  Pandanus.  21 

handsome  face,  and  who  does  not  need  even  his  much 
prized  lei  and /#/#<?#  as  proof  of  his  exalted  rank. 

Skirting  cautiously  along  the  edge  of  the  precipice  in 
search  of  the  pandanus  which  marks  the  only  possible 
place  of  descent  into  the  valley,  the  chief's  countenance 
expressed  satisfaction  when  at  length  he  stood  confront- 
ing the  gigantic  tree.  Evidently  something  in  its  perilous 
position  aroused  his  admiration,  and  perhaps  served  to 
awaken  his  contempt  for  the  danger  of  the  descent,  so 
much  vaunted  in  the  traditions  of  Waimanu. 

No  other  tree  could  have  sustained  itself  so  long  in  such 
a  place.  Springing  from  a  sapling,  its  adventurous  tap- 
roots had  burrowed  deep  down  into  the  rich  soil  of  a 
crack  in  the  lava-rock.  Then  a  storm  had  bent  the  tree 
out  over  the  cliff,  where  it  had  grown  for  a  century  ; 
yearly  sending  new  aerial  roots  down  the  precipice,  where 
they  spread  out  fan-like,  and  laid  hold  with  countless 
fingers  upon  every  shelf  and  crevice  for  thirty  feet  below. 
And  now  the  veteran  tree  reposed  upon  its  hundred 
strong  supports,  and  watched  over  the  passing  genera- 
tions of  men  below.  The  chief  strode  fearlessly  out 
upon  the  level  roots  of  the  pandanus  and  seated  himself 
against  the  gnarled  trunk,  where,  unobserved,  he  could 
watch  the  dawn-light  slowly  sinking  into  the  valley,  and 
quietly  bide  his  time. 

As  yet,  sombre  shadows  remained  untouched  in  the 
mystic  vale.  Not  a  gleam  of  sunshine  had  enlivened  the 
steel-gray  surface  of  the  fog-covered  river,  as  it  winds 
sleepily  along  among  the  green  lawns  ;  running  lazily 
to  meet  the  surly  breakers  of  the  in-rolling  sea,  where  it 
foams  and  flounders  on  the  valley  shore. 

The  half-awaking  valley  is  full  of  exquisite  vistas. 
Blue  mists  rise  languidly  above  the  silent  forest,  as  if 


22  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

about  to  take  wing  in  search  of  the  far-off  day.  Stealing 
up  from  the  soft-flowing  river,  among  the  overarching 
trees,  the  mists  cringe  and  crouch  like  timid  ghosts 
among  the  tree-tops.  The  weight  of  night-gathered  spray 
from  the  cataracts  has  made  them  too  heavy  to  rise  from 
their  haunts  without  the  warmth  of  the  coming  sun. 

Not  a  sluggish  mortal  has  yet  stirred  in  the  valley.  A 
small  hairless  dog  creeps  out  from  among  his  human 
bedfellows  in  one  of  the  riverside  houses.  Stretching 
his  cramped  legs,  and  wondering  at  his  own  temerity  in 
rising  so  early,  the  dog  runs  to  the  river  to  drink.  While 
lapping,  he  often  stops  to  peer  into  the  white  fog  midway 
out  in  the  stream  ;  he  laps  and  looks,  and  sniffs  at  the 
ghostly  creatures  he  smells  in  the  mist.  Then  he  runs 
home  barking  furiously  at  imaginary  dangers  ;  though 
he  is  quite  unconscious  of  a  real  danger  that  is  immi- 
nent— that  of  being  roasted  and  eaten. 

His  bark  awakened  the  bark  of  a  thousand  dogs, 
though  half  of  the  dog-voices  which  welled  up  from  the 
valley  were  but  the  echoes  and  re-echoes,  resounding 
from  cliff  to  cliff.  Thus  awakened,  a  few  of  the  lazy 
denizens  of  the  valley  began  to  grope  about  in  the  shad- 
owy gloom.  Some  ran  to  the  river  for  a  morning  plunge, 
too  scantily  apparelled  to  have  aught  to  disrobe.  Some 
might  now  be  seen  swimming  back  and  forth  across  the 
half-awakened  river.  They  were  neighborly  women, 
alert  for  a  sweet  morsel  of  Waimanu  gossip  to  enliven 
the  new-born  day.  All  clapped  their  hands  and  mumbled 
their  morning  prayers  like  good  heathen,  as  they  ran. 
Dogs,  also,  were  crossing  the  water  to  greet  some  favored 
cur.  Even  grunting  pigs  were  seen  running  in  long  pro- 
cession to  the  stream  ;  scenting  perhaps  a  breakfast  afar 
off  through  the  mist,  where  other  creatures,  human  and 


The  Haunted  Valley.  23 

canine,  had  disappeared.  They,  too,  plunged  in,  seeking 
the  happy  porker  whose  thrifty  mistress  had  gathered 
store  of  over-ripe  guavas  for  her  own  petted  swine. 

Up  the  stream  above  the  village,  where  the  river 
widens  out  into  quiet  pools,  dozens  of  young  girls  were 
wading  waist-deep  in  the  lucid  water,  trying  warily  to 
entrap  the  tiny  shrimp,  in  scoops  made  of  broad  green 
leaves.  Merry  was  the  girlish  prattle,  and  gay  the  happy 
laughter,  welling  up  like  bird-songs  to  the  listening  chief 
on  the  pdli,  as  he  lay  watching  the  pretty  group  of  nude 
foragers,  making  frolic  of  finding  sweet  morsels  for  their 
morning  meal.  A  dull  rhythmic  thud  echoed  from  pdli 
to  pdli,  like  the  muffled  beat  of  a  funeral  drum.  If  you 
had  sought  its  cause  you  would  have  discovered  a  number 
of  bustling  old  male  housewives  making  poi  from  cold 
baked  kalo  roots,  and  zealously  pounding  the  moist  blue 
mass  with  huge  stone  pestles,  on  the  ancient  hollow  stone 
ever  standing  for  that  purpose  at  the  homestead  door. 


IV. 

THE    PERILOUS    DESCENT    INTO    WAIMANU. 

THE  sun  was  already  an  hour  high,  but  only  its 
reflected  light,  gleaming  from  the  higher  cliff  of 
the  opposite  pali,  had  yet  illuminated  the  dark  crags 
beneath  the  watchful  chief. 

What  was  the  motive  of  his  coming  to  such  a  place  at 
such  an  unseemly  hour  ?  It  was  evident  that  the  fear- 
less if  not  foolhardy  man  contemplated  a  descent  into 
the  valley,  and  was  now  only  waiting  for  sufficient  light 
to  accomplish  his  purpose.  But  the  motive  for  risking 
such  a  peril  could  not  even  be  guessed  at. 

Peering  eagerly  down  over  the  pdli's  edge  the  chief 
scanned  the  foothold  of  each  tree  and  shrub  and  long 
pendent  vine,  searching  down  the  sheer  side  of  the 
ragged  crag  as  far  as  the  yet  deep  shadows  would  permit. 
But  if  he  sought  to  make  the  perilous  descent,  and 
wished  to  accomplish  it  unseen,  he  had  no  time  to  lose, 
and  this  he  seemed  to  realize. 

Again  and  again  the  impatient  man  scanned  the  fright- 
ful task  before  him,  weighing  the  chances  along  every 
foot  of  the  awful  abyss  down  to  the  green  meadows  in 
the  far-away  valley. 

Would  his  courage  sustain  him  in  the  daring  under- 
taking that  he  contemplated  ?  Well  he  knew  that  when 
once  midway  down,  though  yet  a  thousand  feet  from  the 
valley,  there  could  be  no  return.  He  must  complete  the 

24 


The  Perilous  Descent.  25 

descent  in  his  downward  path,  or  perish  while  perched 
like  a  wounded  bird  in  mid-air. 

In  the  heart  of  man  there  are  but  two  emotions  suffi- 
ciently frenzied  to  prompt  to  such  a  peril  as  this.  Was 
it  love  or  hate  that  could  thus  impel  a  man  in  the  wise 
maturity  of  his  life  ?  Either  the  one  or  the  other  might 
well  be  the  motive ;  for  at  fifty  love  can  become  the 
most  loving,  and  hate  more  bitter  than  at  any  other 
period  in  life. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  the  resolute  chief  stood 
up  and  flung  both  his  spear  and  his  dagger  far  out  into 
the  valley,  and  folding  his  bare  and  brawny  arms,  watched 
a  long  and  breathless  moment  to  see  them  fall.  Neither 
of  the  weapons  was  broken  in  the  descent.  Both  of 
them  plunged  point  foremost  into  the  moist  green  turf 
below. 

It  was  deemed  a  good  omen,  for  a  brave  smile  lit  up 
the  manly  face  of  the  heroic  chief,  radiant  as  the  rosy 
sun-tints  just  glinting  upon  the  upper  arc  of  the  water- 
fall. Henceforth  we  may  know  him  for  a  lover.  For- 
getful of  all  danger,  he  is  seeking  a  noble  and  beautiful 
woman  that  he  loves.  None  other  could  inspire  a  brave 
man  with  such  love  as  his. 

Grasping  one  of  the  long  pendulous  roots  of  the  pan- 
danus,  which  reached  thirty  feet  down  the  face  of  the 
precipice,  the  agile  chief  swung  himself  sheer  out  over 
the  cliff,  and  slid  down  hand  over  hand  to  the  lowest 
roots  of  the  friendly  tree.  Clinging  there  a  brief  instant, 
before  he  parted  with  this  last  strong  fibre  that  linked 
him  to  the  upper  world,  as  if  testing  Jiis  courage,  or 
weighing  the  frightful  peril  against  the  sweet  emotion 
that  prompted  him,  he  gazed  coolly  down  the  two  thou- 
sand feet  of  cliff  below,  and  unclasping  his  hands  from 


26  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

the  root,  dropped  down  ten  feet  into  a  strong  shrub  that 
was  well  rooted  into  the  face  of  the  crag.  Landing  with 
a  crash  among  the  tough  branches,  he  sat  calmly  a  mo- 
ment to  catch  his  breath,  perching  there  like  a  bird  on 
its  bough. 

He  now  came  to  that  which  had  most  encouraged  him 
to  undertake  the  task, — three  hundred  feet  of  tough 
vines,  reaching  downward,  strong  as  a  network  of  cables, 
in  the  direction  he  wished  to  go.  Assuring  himself  with 
the  utmost  precision  that  the  roots  were  well  grounded 
in  the  rock,  the  chief  sprang  out  from  his  perch  and 
caught  the  vine,  clambering  downward  to  its  lowest 
limits. 

But  here  he  found  himself  hanging  in  mid-air,  swaying 
in  the  treacherous  wind  just  out  of  reach  of  another  and 
much  longer  vine,  which  a  puff  of  wind  had  blown  ten 
feet  away.  His  own  weight  prevented  him  from  swing- 
ing in  the  same  direction,  though  previous  to  his  descent 
the  two  vines  had  swayed  in  the  wind  together. 

He  could  now  only  cling  to  his  own  support  and  wait 
with  impatience  for  the  vine  that  had  betrayed  him  to 
blow  back  within  his  grasp.  Half  an  hour  passed,  and 
minutes  became  hours  from  that  moment.  His  brave 
hands  grew  tired  ;  his  sweet  hopes  grew  pallid  with  fear 
as  he  looked  down  with  dizzy  eyes  upon  the  certain  doom 
below.  Ten  minutes  more  he  hung  dangling  in  the 
wind.  Then  his  hands  grew  numb,  and  his  fingers  began 
to  relax  their  iron  grasp.  Blood  rushed  to  the  brain  as 
if  it  would  burst  its  bounds  ;  a  dark  mist  came  over  his 
eyes,  until  all  grew  black  as  midnight.  Calling  upon 
Pele,  and  preparing  himself  to  die,  the  blinded  chief 
made  ready  to  fall,  as  he  had  flung  his  spear  and  dagger 
and  watched  them  plunge  down  to  the  far-away  valley 
below. 


Hung  in  Mid-Air.  27 

One  hand  now  lost  its  grasp  and  fell  exhausted  at  his 
side.  As  he  hung  by  the  other  hand  and  stretched  his 
left  arm  out  endeavoring  to  recover  his  strength,  the 
wind  from  a  new  direction  blew  in  his  face,  and  the 
treacherous  vine  swung  back  within  his  blind  grasp,  and 
he  was  saved  ! 

He  secured  himself  firmly  among  the  strong  lateral 
branches  of  the  new  vine,  where  his  hands  could  be  left 
at  liberty,  and  sat  securely  holding  by  his  legs.  With 
rest  a  reaction  soon  took  place,  and  sight  and  hope  and 
new  life  came  back  to  the  daring  chief  once  more. 

When  fully  recovered  he  slipped  easily  down  five  hun- 
dred feet  on  the  ponderous  vine,  and  yet  another  hun- 
dred feet  on  roots  and  trees  and  shrubs,  until  he  came 
to  a  broad  shelf  in  the  cliff  which  offered  complete 
repose.  He  now  found  himself  but  a  thousand  feet  from 
the  coveted  valley,  with  shrubs  and  vines  becoming  more 
numerous  as  he  descended. 

When  fully  rested  he  again  tried  the  downward  path. 
Dropping  from  tree  to  tree,  and  clambering  down  from 
one  strong  vine  to  another,  a  brief  half  hour  more  of 
daring  leaps  and  dangerous  descents  found  the  coura- 
geous chief  standing  tired,  but  unharmed,  amidst 
refreshing  fruits  and  grateful  flowers  in  the  thrifty  valley 
of  Waimanu. 

Plucking  spear  and  dagger  from  out  the  moist  earth, 
he  skirted  along  the  friendly  woods  until  he  reached  the 
river,  where  it  ran  embowered  through  the  forest  into  the 
tabued  valley  of  Mukini.  Here  he  bathed  himself  in 
the  cool  waters,  gathered  fruit  for  refreshment,  and  rested 
on  the  flowering  bank. 

Thus  far  he  had  purposely  avoided  meeting  the  people 
of  the  valley,  whose  homes  were  nestled  about  every- 


28  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

where  among  shrubbery  and  fruitful  trees.  A  thousand 
houses,  large  and  small,  in  clusters  few  and  many,  lay 
between  the  tabued  forest  and  the  rock-bound  shore  two 
miles  away. 

Now  his  path  lies  either  through  the  dense  and  diffi- 
cult jungle  of  the  woods  or  up  the  river.  The  old  war- 
rior concluded  to  take  to  the  easier  pathway  in  the 
stream,  and  defy  all  comers. 

Just  where  the  dark  foliage  of  the  primeval  forest  met 
the  green  fields  of  grass,  sugar-cane,  and  taro  patches,  a 
huge  flat  rock  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  It  had 
attracted  the  chief's  attention  as  he  lay  hidden  by  the 
stream.  Hither  came  canoes  from  the  lower  valley,  to 
deposit  their  daily  tributes  of  food,  mats,  or  tapa,  de- 
signed for  the  priesthood  of  Mukini.  At  least  twenty 
canoes  had  come  quietly  up  the  river  to  make  their 
sacred  offerings  to  the  gods,  some  of  them  leaving  baked 
pigs,  dogs,  and  fowls  ;  others  bringing /#/  and  fruit,  and 
baskets  of  fresh-caught  shrimps,  which  they  hung  in  the 
water  securely  attached  to  the  rock. 

All  of  these  people  bringing  tribute  were  below  the 
rank  of  even  petty  chiefs,  being  of  the  class  called 
Kanaka  wdle,  or  freemen,  whether  farmers,  fishermen,  or 
private  citizens  ;  in  distinction  from  the  servant  class,  the 
Katiwa,  or  even  the  Katiwa  maoli,  the  actual  slaves.  Thus 
the  working  class  in  Hawaii,  as  elsewhere,  had  to  provide 
both  for  chiefs  and  priests,  as  well  as  for  their  own  fami- 
lies. They  held  their  land  in  fief  to  one  harsh  extortioner 
or  another.  None  dared  omit,  on  peril  of  his  life,  to 
bring  his  begrudging  gifts.  Their  fear  of  the  tabti 
priests,  and  of  the  whole  sacerdotal  class,  was  seen  in  the 
dreadful  aversion  with  which  the  Kanakas  approached 
the  Tribute  Rock,  the  upper  part  of  which  lies  over 
the  dreadful  tabti  line  of  small  white  tapa  flags. 


Tribute  Rock.  29 

With  wild  eyes  and  apprehensive  looks,  each  native 
brought  his  allotted  tribute,  and  departed  silently,  with 
many  a  furtive  glance  up  the  embowered  river  toward 
the  much-dreaded  heidu.  There  his  plebeian  fathers 
and  grandsires  had  for  ages  been  sacrificed  on  the 
altar  of  Pele.  Yet  the  common  Hawaiian  believed  to  a 
much  greater  extent  than  the  chief  class  that  the  kahuna 
or  priest  was  the  necessary  intermediate  between  the 
gods  and  the  people,  and  had  power  of  daily  communing 
with  the  deities  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  nation. 

Where  the  flowering  vines  lock  arms  from  top  to  top 
of  the  giant  trees,  across  the  river,  there  also  flaunt  the 
tabu  flags,  a  warning  of  death  to  all  who  are  not  of  suf- 
ficient rank  to  entitle  them  to  pass.  This  restriction  ap- 
plies to  all  below  tabu  chiefs,  priests,  and  reigning  kings. 

Whether  in  cool  derision  of  this  dreadful  ban  against 
all  comers,  or  perhaps  with  wise  intent  to  finally  disclose 
his  own  rank — thus  far  carefully  concealed — in  case  he 
should  be  refused  admittance  to  the  heidu,  the  proud 
chief  plucked  up  one  of  the  tabu  flags  from  mid-river 
and  attached  it  to  his  spear,  as  he  waded  through  the 
wood  beneath  the  green  arcade  above  the  river. 

When  the  chief  had  fairly  entered  the  forest,  the  outer 
world  was  shut  out  by  the  winding  river  through  which 
he  passed.  At  times  even  the  blue  sky  was  obscured  by 
the  interlacing  boughs  of  the  large-leaved  ohia  trees, 
their  crimson  apples  and  vermilion  blossoms  spangling 
the  green  foliage  like  the  red-fish  in  the  water  and  the 
red-birds  in  the  trees. 

Yellow  gleams  from  the  noonday  sun  darted  down 
through  the  emerald  leafage,  serving  to  enliven  the  cool 
dreamy  seclusion  about  the  chief ;  falling  like  flashing 
spears  or  winged  arrows  of  gold  among  the  everglade, 


30  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

where  the  song  of  the  rustling  leaves  and  the  soft  music 
of  the  flowing  river  were  the  only  sounds. 

The  whole  upper  valley  soon  becomes  a  dense  jungle 
of  forest-  and  fruit-trees,  together  with  a  network  of 
clambering  vines.  The  vines  run  to  the  tops  of  the 
tallest  trees,  where,  aided  by  some  friendly  wind,  they 
toss  their  exultant  tendrils  across  the  stream,  festooning 
the  peaceful  river  until  their  flowers  trail  in  the  murmur- 
ing tide.  But  most  beautiful  of  all  these  forest  climbers 
is  one  which  leaps  heavenward  over  parasite  and  tree-top, 
the  proud  mauve-colored  morning-glory  which  lifts  her 
tendril  hands  skyward  like  an  appealing  spirit. 

An  hour  of  wading  brought  the  chief  into  the  clearing 
at  the  head  of  the  valley,  where  a  yet  more  bewitching 
scene  burst  upon  his  gaze.  The  weird  stillness  and 
cathedral  gloom  of  the  forest  now  gave  place  to  the 
hoarse  melody  of  the  colossal  waterfalls,  whose  five  tor- 
rents leaped  down  in  sunlit  curves  as  from  out  the  sum- 
mer sky.  No  wonder  the  barbaric  chief  stayed  his  foot- 
steps in  the  river,  and  stood  pensively  leaning  on  his 
spear,  half  bewildered  with  the  varied  beauty  of  the 
scene. 

Before  him  rose  the  vine-covered  walls  of  the  most 
famous  heidu  upon  the  islands,  the  heathen  temple  pre- 
sided over  by  Wailele,  the  virgin  Priestess,  of  highest 
rank  and  of  supremest  beauty. 

The  high  walls  of  lava  rock  built  round  about  the 
ancient  temple  enclosed,  perhaps,  an  acre  of  land.  Huge 
stone  pyramids,  built  upon  raised  stone  terraces,  towered 
above  the  enclosure,  together  with  a  graceful  bamboo 
temple  containing  the  altar  of  sacrifice  and  the  shrine  of 
prayer. 

About  the  walled  heidu  were  clustered    various    out- 


The  Ancient  Heidu.  31 

houses  :  on  the  one  side  were  houses  for  storage  of  tapa 
and  provisions,  and  numerous  neat  grass-house  dwellings 
for  the  minor  priestesses  connected  with  the  temple  ; 
while  on  the  side  remote  from  the  forest  were  the 
cook-houses  and  buildings  where  tapa  cloth  was  made, 
and  luxurious  mats  for  bedding  and  carpeting  con- 
structed. 

Still  other  grass  houses,  of  a  less  tasteful  character, 
were  scattered  from  the  back  wall  of  the  heidu  to  the 
cliff.  They  were  built  for  the  Katiwa  maoli  (slaves),  a 
class  selected  by  the  former  priests  from  among  prisoners 
of  war,  and  considered  as  surplus  food  for  their  human 
sacrifices.  But  once  enslaved,  these  Kaiiwa  remained  in 
bondage,  they  and  their  progeny,  forever.  It  was  death 
for  one  of  them  to  enter  a  chief's  house.  They  dare  not 
even  approach  a  chief,  or  his  house,  except  upon  all- 
fours.  Held  in  such  contempt  were  these  poor  bondsmen, 
that  a  Kanaka  wale — a  freeman — strikes  the  bottom  of 
his  foot  with  scorn  to  express  the  degradation  of  a  slave. 
And  yet  they  have  shown  their  love  for  a  kind  master  by 
taking  the  front  of  the  most  savage  battles  ;  as  in  the 
case  of  the  two  Leapuni,  slaves  who  fought  with  such 
superhuman  courage  for  their  king  Keliiokaloa,  that 
they  came  near  killing  the  opposing  king  in  battle. 

In  front  of  the  gray  old  walls  of  the  ancient  heidu 
rose  a  large  bamboo  dwelling,  airy  and  neat,  thatched 
with  lauhdla  leaves,  and  having  a  broad,  cool  veranda 
about  three  sides  of  it.  This,  with  its  well-kept  grounds, 
was  a  more  sumptuous  abode  than  the  palace  at  Waipio. 

Here  dwelt  Wailele  who  had  consecrated  her  vestal 
life  to  the  worship  of  Pele.  Here  she  endeavored  to  in- 
terpret the  hidden  mysteries  of  that  dim  and  ghostly  in- 
terval lying  between  the  visible  and  the  invisible  world, 


32  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

— the  spirit-land  of  the  gods,  which  borders  so  near  upon 
mortal  domain. 

The  palace  garden  around  three  sides  of  the  dwelling, 
together  with  the  green  lawn,  reaching  down  to  the 
river,  was  enclosed  by  a  thrifty  hedge  of  kt  plant,  having 
an  opening  on  the  river  bank,  and  another  at  the  back 
of  the  palace,  leading  through  the  high  wall  into  the 
heidu. 

The  veranda  of  this  charming  abode  was  half  buried 
in  pendent  vines  trailing  coyly  down  from  its  thatched 
roof,  and  all  aglow  with  tropical  blossoms.  The  numer- 
ous supports  of  the  veranda  were  thickly  festooned  with 
climbing  trumpet  plants,  their  yellow,  waxy  flowers  pret- 
tily contrasted  with  the  purple  morning-glories,  the 
crimson  hibiscus,  and  the  varied  colors  of  the  mountain 
hollyhock. 

Clusters  of  graceful  papaya  trees,  thirty  feet  high, 
with  large  indented  leaves  and  long  symmetrical  foot- 
stalks, grow  plentifully  about  the  grounds,  every  tree 
laden  with  rich,  melon-shaped  fruit.  Masses  of  bread- 
fruit trees,  with  their  dark,  quaint-shaped  foliage,  skirted 
the  river  bank,  loaded  with  fruit  ready  for  the  house- 
wife's hand.  Here  grew  ohia  trees  to  enormous  size, 
refreshed  by  the  spray  that  was  ever  drifting  from  the 
cataracts  ;  these  were  loaded  with  rose-colored  apples, 
made  yet  more  brilliant  by  the  crimson  tinge  of  their 
young  leaves. 

But  most  graceful  of  all  the  growths,  in  field  or  forest, 
were  the  long  feathery  foliage  of  the  algaroba  trees,  and 
the  clusters  of  magnificent  bamboo  that  shot  up  eighty 
feet  in  the  air.  Pretty  fan-palms  and  the  silvery-sheened 
ktikui,  or  candle-nut  trees,  were  numerous,  their  foliage 
adding  grace  to  their  more  stately  fellows. 


Palace  of  the  Priestess.  33 

As  yet,  no  vestige  of  human  life  had  become  visible  to 
the  pondering  chief,  as  he  stood  by  the  bank  of  the 
river,  gazing  on  the  bewitching  landscape  before  him. 
Not  even  a  voice  reached  his  listening  ear,  only  the  twit- 
ter of  gay-colored  birds,  with  plumage  brighter  than  the 
odorous  flowers. 

It  soon  became  evident  to  the  watchful  chief  that  even 
the  birds  knew  him  to  be  a  stranger,  as  they  entered  their 
noisy  protest  against  his  intrusion  into  their  precinct. 
Constituting  themselves  the  outpost  guard  of  the  seques- 
tered place — the  sanctuary  of  priesthood, — they  flocked 
about  him  in  countless  numbers  with  their  warning  cries. 
But  as  he  remained  motionless  for  a  time,  and  as  no  no- 
tice was  taken  of  their  alarm  at  the  palace,  the  indignant 
creatures  grew  more  quiet,  yet  they  continued  to  follow 
the  intruder  until  he  disappeared  from  view. 

Charmed  by  the  floral  beauty  about  the  dwelling  of 
the  Priestess,  and  awed  by  the  suggestive  mysteries  of 
the  gray  old  heidu  walls,  the  chief  now  grasped  his  spear 
and  waded  across  the  river  to  the  entrance  in  the  hedge. 
Though  resolute  to  enter  the  temple  and  discover  its 
occupants,  yet  there  was  less  arrogance  in  his  bearing, 
and  less  pride  in  his  majestic  walk  as  he  entered  the  mys- 
tic solitude,  for  the  proud  man  had  here  met  two  things 
that  often  serve  to  divest  the  human  heart  of  its  vanity 
and  bring  it  into  closer  kinship  with  nature. 


V. 

PRIEST-GIRLS    ANOINTING    THE    DOGS. 

LEAVING  the  river,  the  chief  entered  the  abores- 
cent  enclosure  of  ki  hedge  surrounding  the  Ka- 
huna's palace  and  garden  grounds.  Crossing  the  green 
lawn  over  the  path  of  large  smooth  pebbles  brought  from 
the  river  mouth,  he  passed  on  unchallenged  through  a 
floral  archway  leading  to  the  veranda,  where  he  heard 
the  singing  of  lullabies  by  a  number  of  rich  voices. 

What  a  strange  sight  was  that  which  met  the  gaze  of 
the  intruder  man,  as  he  stood,  spear  in  hand,  peering 
through  the  vines,  unseen  by  the  fair  occupants  of  the 
veranda.  Seven  dark-haired  priest-girls  were  discovered, 
sitting  upon  the  soft  mats  and  singing  liquid  melodies, 
while  several  half-grown  hairless  dogs  were  being  nursed 
by  fat  slave  women.  They  were  Ilio  poll  (breast-nursed 
dogs  *),  consecrated  to  Pele,  and  about  being  anointed 
for  sacrifice  upon  her  altar  ;  in  lawful  substitute,  upon 
minor  occasions,  for  human  victims. 

Six  of  these  charming  wahines  were  from  fourteen  to 

*  The  Hawaiians  were  great  epicures  in  dog  meat.  The  kinds 
raised  for  feasts  were  small  and  easily  fattened.  Dogs  suckled  at  the 
breast  were  called  Ilio  foil,  their  flesh  being  tender  and  deliciously 
flavored  (Jules  Remy's  "Venerable  Savage,"  p.  53).  Children  were 
not  much  valued,  and  were  so  frequently  given  away  that  they  seldom 
knew  their  real  parents  ;  dogs  were  better  fed,  and  were  often  nursed 
at  the  mother's  breast  in  preference  to  her  own  offspring  (Jarves,  p. 
94). 

34 


The  Beautiful  Priestess.  3  5 

sixteen  years  old.  All  were  plump  and  pretty  chief- 
esses  from  the  best  families  of  Waimanu  ;  girls  piously 
devoted  to  the  sacred  duty  of  fattening  puppies  for  the 
altar  of  their  loved  goddess. 

The  seventh  was  Wailele,  High-Priestess  of  Mukini,  a 
person  of  remarkable  presence.  A  large,  tall,  graceful 
woman  of  twenty,  in  a  tropical  climate  where  girls  mature 
at  twelve.  Dark  lustrous  eyes  that  could  languish  with 
love  or  wither  with  scorn.  She  was  grand  and  beautiful 
as  the  full-orbed  night  when  adorned  with  a  hemisphere 
of  stars. 

Abundant  masses  of  long  raven  hair  were  sweeping 
about  her  bare  shoulders  and  full  attractive  form,  like  a 
midnight  pall  draped  on  a  statue  of  bronze.  The  soft 
tones  of  her  voice  were  subdued  to  their  lowest  pitch, 
harmonizing  well  with  the  bewildering  charm  of  her  fresh, 
fair  face.  Bending  tenderly  over  the  nursling  in  her  lap, 
Wailele  crooned  her  lullaby  over  the  sacred  dog,  with  the 
pious  fervor  of  one  who  loves  her  task. 

But  as  blackest  darkness  is  to  living  light,  or  storm  is 
to  calm,  was  the  swift,  vehement  change  that  swept  over 
her  mobile  face,  when  she  discovered  an  armed  warrior 
standing  unannounced,  with  spear  in  hand,  upon  the 
veranda,  and  flaunting  her  own  tabu  flag  defiantly  before 
her. 

Her  dark  eyes  flashed  with  the  aroused  lightnings  of 
the  approaching  storm  as  she  confronted  the  intruder  who 
had  thus  forced  her  hospitality  and  defied  her  tabued 
domain. 

The  six  timid  priest-girls  sprang  up  from  their  couches 
each  with  a  cry  of  alarm,  as  they  dropped  their  yelping 
nurslings  and  gathered  quickly  about  their  mistress 
abashed  and  afraid.  But  not  a  feature  of  the  haughty 


36  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

Priestess'  face  showed  a  trace  of  alarm  from  this  un- 
seemly intrusion  of  a  strange  armed  man. 

But  when  she  spoke  in  answer  to  the  courteous  greet- 
ing of  the  lordly  stranger  her  voice  grew  strong  and  ar- 
rogant as  she  found  he  seemed  unconscious  of  his  in- 
iquity. Still  she  sought  by  an  effort  of  will  to  subdue  her 
anger  at  this  outrage  upon  her  priestly  seclusion. 

"  Aloha,  Kahuna  wahine  !  "  exclaimed  the  smiling 
chief,  amused  at  the  chorus  of  alarm  he  caused  among 
the  pretty  maidens,  and  the  uproar  among  the  nursling 
puppies. 

"  Aloha,  Alii !  but  you  anger  me  greatly  by  this  rude- 
ness. What  brings  you  here?"  responded  the  im- 
perious Priestess,  as  she  quietly  draped  her  long  trailing 
hair  about  the  sacred  nursling  and  over  her  shapely 
breast,  patting  the  whining  puppy  gently  to  subdue  his 
alarm. 

"Business  with  the  Priestess  of  Mukini  has  brought 
me  here,"  he  replied,  unabashed. 

"Know  you  not  that  it  is  the  Kapu  Mahealani  (full- 
moon  tabu)  ;  a  time  consecrated  above  all  others  to  the 
divine  Pele  ?  And  yet  you  come  in  defiance  of  my  kapu 
e  make — death  tabu — when  but  a  word  from  me  would 
slaughter  you  for  the  altar,  instead  of  the  Ilio  poli  which  I 
have  prepared,  and  leave  you  forgotten  among  the  ranks 
of  men." 

The  chief  only  drew  himself  up  the  more  proudly  as 
the  indignant  Kahuna  grew  more  arrogant  in  manner  and 
more  threatening  in  tone.  Yet  he  realized  something  of 
his  danger,  and  the  immediate  necessity  of  making  known 
his  rank  ;  as  even  now  the  secret  man-slayers,  belonging 
to  all  heidus,  might  be  gathering  stealthily  about  him 
with  their  deadly  lariats  or  poisoned  spears. 


Waitile  and  the  King.  37 

And  though  the  noble-looking  stranger  still  replied  to 
the  Priestess  with  calm  eye  and  a  commanding  tone,  as 
he  answered  her  threat  of  vengeance,  yet  as  he  spoke  he 
took  double  measure  for  assuring  his  safety.  He  un- 
loosed his  tapa  mantle  from  about  his  neck  and  freed  his 
spear. 

To  the  six  trembling  priest-girls  this  movement  seemed 
an  act  of  menace,  intended  to  free  his  spear-arm  for  ac- 
tion. It  was  all  the  more  emphasized  when  the  chief  tore 
off  the  tabti  flag  from  his  spear,  and  flung  it  contemptu- 
ously behind  him.  But  to  Wailele,  the  sudden  act  of  the 
Chief  had  another  import.  He  thus  displayed  his  royal 
lei  of  yellow  feathers  and  its  appendant /#/#<?#. 

"  You  say  rightly,  noble  Kahuna,  it  is  the  Kapu  Ma- 
healani.  But  We  are  of  the  rank  that  make  the  kapu  e 
make,  and  fear  not  that  which  we  can  promulgate  for 
others  at  our  pleasure." 

As  the  secret  sign  made  by  the  chief  comported  with 
the  rare  insignia  which  he  wore,  a  new  light  came  quickly 
into  the  face  of  the  Priestess,  as  she  replied  with  less 
arrogance  in  her  tone. 

"  Sire  !  what  do  you  here  ?  Is  not  the  Kahuna  of  Mu- 
kini  entitled  to  the  poor  homage  of  an  official  herald,  ere 
she  receives  an  Alii  Moi — a  sovereign  chief  ? " 

Then,  without  moving  from  her  seat  of  state  near  the 
entrance  to  the  heidu,  Wailele  held  out  her  soft  hand  to 
the  king,  and  graciously  rubbed  noses  with  the  noble 
old  monarch.* 

Still  wishing  to  remain  incognito,  the  chief  replied  : 
"  How  know  you  that  I  am  a  king  ?  I  climbed  down 
your  terrible/^//  to  make  a  secret  visit  to  Mukini,  and  the 

*  An  embrace  of  noses  was  then  their  most  affectionate  mode  of 
salutation. 


38  KamSham/ha  the  Great. 

first  person  I  meet  divulges  my  secret,  and  threatens  to 
sacrifice  me  among  her  puppies."  And  the  old  chief  was 
inclined  to  make  merry  of  her  fears  and  her  anger. 

"Sire,  Pele  long  since  admonished  me  that  you  were 
coming  to  Mukini,  and  that  you  wished  to  consult  the 
oracles  about  an  heir  to  your  throne." 

"  All  that  is  no  proof  I  am  the  king  you  looked  for." 

"  Alii  Moi,  the  very  birds  knew  you  as  you  waded  up 
the  river  with  a  hope  to  surprise  us.  Did  they  not  shriek 
your  name  from  every  bough  of  the  algaroba  trees  ?  And 
do  not  your  lei  and  your  niJw  palaoa  (ivory  tooth)  pro- 
claim you  a  king?" 

The  Priestess  well  knew  there  were  but  few  men  in 
Hawaii  who  would  dare  for  their  lives  to  thus  venture 
into  the  ancient  sanctuary  unannounced.  One  of  these 
was  Pepehi,  her  murderous  half-brother,  the  Kahuna 
•maole  of  the  mountain  heidu,  Puukeekee.  And  among 
the  very  few  others  who  might  intrude  with  impunity 
was  this  noble  king  who  stood  before  her  with  a  smile  on 
his  face. 

"  Kahtina  wahine,  if  I  am  the  king  you  take  me  to  be, 
give  me,  in  the  Ka  ke  words,  the  password  of  the  insignia 
I  wear."* 

"  Kulia  i  ka  Nuu  !  "  and  she  accompanied  the  ancient 
password  of  the  kings  with  the  appropriate  sign.  To 
this  the  king  replied,  but  with  no  further  attempt  to  dis- 
semble his  rank  ;  only  demanding  that  his  name  should 
never  be  divulged  to  mortal  ears. 

"  Auwe  !  and  have  I  intruded  upon  your  sacred  duties, 
noble  Kahuna  ? " 

"  Sire,  you  have  ;  and  my  duty  to  Pele  must  be  con- 

*  Ka  ke  is  the  secret  dialect  of  the  Ahu  Alii,  the  "Council  of 
Nobles,"  formed  by  Paao. 


Priestly  Prerogative.  39 

sidered  before  that  due  to  a  king.  My  task  must  be 
completed  before  I  can  even  offer  the  hospitalities  of  my 
heidu  to  your  majesty.  It  becomes  my  sacred  duty  to 
make  this  choice  offering  to  Pele  against  the  coming  full 
moon." 

"  But  will  the  tabil  moon  prevent  your  attending  to  my 
mission  ?" 

"  No,  sire,  for  the  sacrifice  will  not  take  place  until 
midnight,  when  the  moon  sits  in  the  sky  to  watch  our 
pious  labor  from  above  the  mountain  snows." 

"  And  shall  a  king  disclose  his  state  secrets  before 
these  babbling  tongues  and  gaping  ears  ?  " 

"  Not  so,  Alii  Moi  (sovereign  chief).  Neither  would 
it  be  just  to  the  adorable  Pele  for  her  priestess,  while 
thus  engaged  in  communion  with  the  goddess,  to  utter 
prophetic  words  to  mortal  ears." 

"  And  what  is  your  wish  ?  " 

"Retire  into  the  heidu,  and  seek  the  needed  repose 
till  I  come." 

"  Priestess,  the  sun  has  climbed  high  enough  to  look 
dow-n  upon  the  western  snow  on  the  mountain,  and  I 
would  seek  the  homeward  path  by  the  river  before 
Mauna  Kea's  shadows  creep  down  over  Waimanu  Val- 
ley." 

And  the  grave  old  monarch  spoke  almost  severely, 
while  a  touch  of  kingly  arrogance  crept  into  his  voice, 
and  kindled  upon  his  brow  ;  to  think  that  a  sovereign 
was  thus  required  to  submit  to  the  Priestess,  though  it 
were  to  the  noblest  kaMna  wahine  among  the  isles.  But 
the  Priestess  was  his  match  in  matters  of  etiquette  and 
church  prerogative,  being  herself  an  hereditary  Moo- 
kahuna  (history-making  priest),  and  versed  in  all  the  lore 
of  church  and  state. 


40  Kam4ka#t4ha  the  Great. 

In  answer  Wailele  only  bowed  her  queenly  head  in 
resolute  silence,  and  waved  her  imperious  hand  for  the 
king  to  pass  into  the  temple  as  she  had  bid  him.  This 
to  a  powerful  and  passionate  chief  whose  slightest  word, 
or  averted  face,*  when  among  his  followers,  brought 
death  to  whomsoever  he  wished  !  It  bespoke  a  heart  of 
courage  in  Wailele  more  remarkable  than  the  transcendant 
beauty  of  her  face. 

The  despotic  king  obeyed  without  a  word,  recog- 
nizing the  absolute  power  of  the  high-caste  priests  while 
in  their  own  heidus  or  during  religious  ceremonies.  He 
remembered  the  historical  example  where  Hakau,  the 
wicked  king  at  Waipio,  was  slain  by  the  priest  Kaleiho- 
kuu,  who  placed  his  foster-son  upon  the  vacant  throne. 
He  remembered,  too,  the  display  of  priestly  power  where 
the  priest  of  Kau  killed  the  king  by  hurling  a  huge  tree 
upon  him  from  the  high  ^d// of  Hilea. 

Passing  through  the  dwelling  into  the  rear,  and  entering 
the  massive  wall  of  the  grim  old  heidu,  the  scene  of  so 
many  historical  events  and  human  sacrifices,  the  king 
mounted  the  middle  terrace  of  stone,  where  stood  a  large 
cool  bamboo  temple,  and  a  calabash  of  holy  water,  with 
which  he  sprinkled  himself.f 

Near  the  altar  of  ancient  Hawaiian  heidus  stood  a 
highly  decorated  calabash  containing  wat  Oka,  or  holy 
water,  with  which  the  priest  sprinkled  all  who  were  to 
officiate  in  religious  rites.  This  corresponded  to  the  lus- 
tral  waters  that  stood  in  a  vessel  at  the  entrance  of  Greek 
temples  ;  prepared  in  the  same  way  as  the  wat  O/ia,  and 
with  which  all  must  be  sprinkled  who  entered  the  temple. 

*  "Halo  ke  alo  " — face  averted — means,  "  Let  him  die  !  " 
f  The  Hawaiian  priests  prepared  three  grades  of  Ke  wai  Oka,  or 
holy  water. — "  Polynesian  Races,"  vol.  I.,  p.  115. 


The  Inner  Temple.  41 

The  Hawaiian  kahuna  prepared  three  especial  grades 
of  Ke  wai  Oha  ;  for  purification,  prayer,  and  sanctifica- 
tion  ;  severally  called  wai-hui-Kala,  wai-lupa-lupa,  and 
wai-olena.  Holy  water  was  also  used  for  all  public  rites 
and  private  consolations,  as  well  as  to  exorcise  demons 
and  disperse  disease.  Used  at  the  baptismal  font  and  as 
the  sacrament  for  the  mortally  sick,  it  was  thus  a  vade 
mecutti  for  the  living,  and  the  viaticum  for  the  dying. 

On  a  large  paved  square  in  the  centre  of  the  temple 
stood  the  black  stone  altar,  or  Lele,  and  an  octagonal 
wicker-work,  the  holy  of  holies.  Around  these,  throughout 
the  whole  inner  circuit  of  the  temple,  were  piled  luxurious 
lauhdla  mats,  and  pillows  of  the  golden/^/w,  or  silk  of  the 
fern.  This  arrangement  was  made  ostensibly  for  the 
audience  of  high  chiefs  during  times  of  religious  observ- 
ance. But  the  couches  were  oftener  made  use  of  by 
the  kahuna  wahine  and  her  six  priestly  satellites, 
whereon  to  repose  during  the  brief  intervals  of  their 
pious  duties. 

These  inviting  divans  were  made  with  great  care,  with 
a  view  to  obtaining  springy,  easy  lounges  for  sitting  or 
lying.  The  mats  were  piled  upon  each  other  twenty 
deep,  and  placed  upon  long  rows  of  yielding  bamboo 
poles  reaching  across  the  whole  length  and  sides  of  the 
temple. 

The  king  made  choice  of  one  of  the  couches  a  trifle 
more  dainty  than  the  rest,  which,  to  judge  by  the  rich 
feather  pau,  lei,  and  kahili  made  of  golden  O-o  plumage, 
tokens  of  Wailele's  regal  birth,  showed  evidence  of  being 
the  Priestess'  own  place  of  repose.  He  was  soon  sleep- 
ing soundly,  but  not  before  Pemilani,  one  of  the  priest- 
girls,  came  in  to  use  the  feather  kahili,  assuming  her 
hereditary  office  of  Paa-kahili,  "  fly-brusher,"  for  the 


42  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

king,  as  was  her  custom  with  her  loved  mistress  when 
she  slept. 

This  imported  plague  of  flies,  which  added  to  the  uses 
of  the  kahili,  only  dated  back  to  the  wreck  of  the  last 
Spanish  galleon.*  Naturally  they  were  looked  upon 
with  abhorrence  ;  for  though  the  natives  endured  lice, 
fleas,  and  grasshoppers,  yet  if  a  fly  fell  into  a  dish  of poi 
the  whole  mess  would  be  thrown  away  as  defiled  ;  while 
such  a  casualty,  in  the  case  of  a  naturalized  brother 
insect,  did  not  impair  their  appetite. 

How  long  the  tired  king  slept  he  knew  not.  He  woke 
to  find  the  six  maidens  singing  about  the  Lele,  or  altar, 
chanting  a  soft  prayer  to  Pele  for  the  king.  The  plead- 
ing, supplicating  tones  of  the  charming  priest-girls 
touched  the  old  king's  heart  to  tears.  It  was  not  wholly 
the  pathetic  words  of  the  prayer,  but  more  their  tender 
appeals  to  the  mother  of  gods,  calling  upon  Pele  as  upon 
their  own  earthly  mother. 

Not  until  the  holy  chant  was  ended  did  the  king  be- 
come aware  that  Wailele  sat  behind  him  waving  her 
feather  kahili  over  his  head.  As  he  turned  to  greet  her, 
and  sat  up  to  look  about  him,  he  saw  that  the  sacred  dog 
had  been  killed  and  dressed  and  laid  upon  the  altar.  It 
was  ready  for  sacrifice  under  the  midnight  moon. 

About  the  Ilio  poli  floral  decorations  were  tastily 
arranged.  The  heart,  liver,  and  entrails  had  been 
cleansed  and  prepared  especially  for  the  worshippers 
during  the  midnight  oblation  ;  while  the  delicate  meat 
of  the  Ilio  itself  was  offered  to  Pele.  In  like  manner  the 
viscera  of  the  far-famed  Cook  were  devoured  in  later 

*  Mosquitoes,  like  flies,  were  also  unknown  in  Hawaii  before  the 
advent  of  the  pest-bringing  whites.  They  are  now  very  troublesome 
on  the  leeward  side  of  the  islands.  But  the  first  mosquitoes  ever  seen 
there  came  from  an  American  ship  as  late  as  the  year  1823. 


Seeking  an  Oracle.  43 

years  at  Kaawaloa,  while  the  flesh  was  stripped  from  the 
bones  and  burned  in  sacrifice  to  the  gods.* 

Wailele  clapped  her  hands  for  the  girls  to  withdraw, 
and  then  confronted  the  monarch  to  expound  in  oracles 
the  state  secrets,  or  answer  the  personal  prayers  which 
had  brought  him  to  Mukini. 

The  interchange  of  glances  between  this  royal  man 
and  priestly  woman  were  both  earnest,  deep,  and  as 
searching  as  if  each  had  profound  inquiries  to  make.  If 
there  were  any  touch  of  bewilderment  in  the  gaze  of 
either,  it  was  expressed  as  when  the  questioning  eyes  of 
our  first  parents  met  by  the  Euphrates.  For  undoubt- 
edly they  were  both  more  interested  in  each  other  at  that 
moment  than  they  knew  or  would  confess  to  themselves. 

"  Priestess  of  Pele,  answer  the  wishes  of  my  heart," 
said  the  king,  gazing  steadily  at  Wailele. 

"  Alii  Moiy  the  Kahuna  of  Mukini  awaits  your  request. 
Her  ear  is  open  to  the  voice  of  Pele,  whose  spirit  is  now 
round  about  us.  While  yet  you  slept  it  came  in  swift 
answer  to  our  united  prayers." 

"  Greet  the  goddess  for  your  guest,  for  he  has  fought 
many  a  battle  prompted  by  her  oracle." 

"  Pele  receives  your  greeting,  and  smiles  kindly  upon 
the  noble  king." 

"  I  have  sought  the  Prophetess  of  Mukini  to  learn  of 
Pele  what  the  warlike  Kamehanui  of  Maui  is  contem- 
plating ;  and  to  ask  of  the  divine  goddess  an  heir  for 
my  kingdom." 

"  Kamehanui  goes  to  fight  Oahu's  king.  The  war 
canoes  of  Hawaii  may  rest  in  the  sheltering  valleys  for 
many  a  day." 

*  Though  his  heart  and  liver  were  saved  by  the  priests,  to  eat,  some 
children  devoured  them  in  the  night. 


44  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

"  Who  shall  be  the  mother  of  my  heir  ?  I  have  three 
queens,  all  comely  women,  and  yet  I  am  childless.  Is  it 
the  will  of  Pele  that  my  kingdom  shall  be  battled  for  over 
my  bundled  bones  ?  "  * 

Wailele  seemed  for  a  moment  wrapped  in  trance  ;  then 
the  answer  came  :  "  The  wish  of  your  heart  shall  be  an- 
swered. The  blood  of  a  great  king  should  descend  to  his 
people.  Pele  has  heard  your  prayer,  and  long  since 
whispered  her  bequest  to  the  stars.  She  has  willed  you 
to  be  the  father  of  the  mightiest  Hawaiian  among  all  our 
kings." 

"And  whom,  kahiina  wahinc,  has  the  goddess  indi- 
cated as  the  mother  of  my  boy  ? " 

"  The  decisions  of  Pele  are  ever  crowned  with  wisdom. 
She  leaves  you  to  make  choice  of  a  queen  as  mother  of 
your  child." 

"  Is  there  wisdom  in  giving  a  despotic  king  that  which 
is  already  his  own  ? " 

"  Sire,  would  you  appeal  to  other  gods  than  Pele  ?  " 

"  I  have  sought  help  from  the  united  wisdom  of  the 
gods,  and  I  am  told  :  *  Go  do  as  you  please.'  " 

"  Wise  king  !  does  it  pass  your  understanding  that  your 
heir  must  be  begotten  by  twin  love,  in  the  hallowed  hour 
of  the  Kulu  (full  moon)  ?  Does  love  go  where  love  is 
sent,  that  you  seek  to  have  it  sent  to  your  palace  door  ?  " 

"  All  who  might  love  a  monarch  are  not  worthy  to  bear 
an  heir.  I  ask  for  directions  how  to  know  the  woman 
who  is  to  bear  my  child." 

"  As  the  fierce  sun  was  made  companion  for  the  timid 
day,  and  the  gentle  moon  was  mated  to  the  blackest 
night ;  so  the  gods  in  the  day  of  creation  formed  great 

*  A  chief's  bones  are  cleaned,  bundled,  and  hidden  in  some  secret 
tomb. 


The  Future  Revealed.  45 

hearts  in  pairs,  that  their  children  should  become  mighty 
among  men, — mighty  as  are  the  mountains  to  the  lesser 
hills.  There  is  but  one  noble  heart  equal  to  the  grateful 
task  you  would  put  upon  women.  Seek,  and  you  shall 
find  her  ;  and  your  progeny  shall  be  blessed  by  the  gods." 

"Have  I  not  already  sought  her  for  thirty  years  of 
vigorous  life  ?  I  came  to  Mukini  to  seek  wisdom,  but  I 
am  answered  in  riddles." 

"  Do  you  not  know  the  sun  when  you  see  him  ?  And 
can  you  mistake  the  subtle  influence  of  the  mahina  (moon) 
in  her  hour  of  fulling  ?  The  king  will  know  the  mother 
of  his  child  when  his  great  heart  thrills  at  her  coming  ; 
as  the  blue  Pacific  thrills  at  the  coming  of  the  maiden 
moon." 

"  It  is  well !  Wonderful  is  the  wisdom  of  Pele.  If  one 
should  demand  of  her  a  star,  he  should  have  it  for  a  foot- 
stool. And  if  an  old  king  should  find  a  young  love, 
though  the  gods  had  hedged  her  about  with  the  beauty  of 
holiness,  yet  could  Pele  persuade  her  to  become  mother 
of  a  king.  It  is  well.  I  will  seek  until  I  find  her." 

The  half-satisfied  monarch  gave  his  hand  to  the 
Priestess  with  a  gracious  smile,  in  tender  commendation 
of  her  wisdom,  grateful  for  the  mysterious  behest  of  the 
gods,  whatever  it  might  prove  to  be.  He  said  no  more 
of  hastening  his  return  to  Waipio.  He  seemed  content 
to  tarry  and  witness  the  sacrifice  to  Pele  under  the 
weird  influence  of  the  midnight  moon. 

Though  matters  of  state  called  for  the  king's  return,  a 
yet  stronger  influence  bade  him  remain.  Already  en- 
thralled by  the  dark  eyes  of  Wailele,  the  monarch  sought 
to  give  himself  up  to  the  yet  deeper  witchery  of  the  hal- 
lowed place  and  the  radiant  night.  The  mystic  influ- 
ence was  upon  him,  under  which  human  hearts  are 


46  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

charmed  by  Eros,  when  lovers  awake  to  the  divine  im- 
pulse which  prompts  them  to  mate  in  bonds  of  wedlock 
with  those  whom  they  desire. 

The  hallowed  hour  when  Flora  unfolds  her  tender 
leaflets  to  Mahina,  prompts  her  blossoms  to  exude  their 
sweetest  incense  over  the  moonlit  land,  and  hastens  her 
tropic  fruitage  toward  fructescence  ;  when  even  the 
finny  tribes  of  the  sea  seek  to  climb  the  moonlit  beaches  ; 
while  the  leaping  tides  press  landward,  like  human  lovers, 
eager  to  embrace  the  moonbeam. 


VI. 

HOW    TO   WOO    A    PROUD    WOMAN. 

ONLY  by  the  deepening  tints  of  peach-bloom  in  her 
soft  oval  cheeks,  and  by  the  increasing  languor 
in  her  large  lustrous  eyes,  could  a  superficial  observer 
guess  how  deeply  Wailele's  tropical  heart  was  stirred  by 
her  prophetic  discourse  with  the  king. 

But  to  the  keen  eyes  of  the  watchful  monarch  there 
were  many  other  confirmatory  intimations  of  how  deeply 
a  strong  woman  may  feel,  and  yet  not  willingly  betray 
her  emotions.  The  wise  old  king  had  not  failed  to  inter- 
pret the  quivering  lips  and  drooping  lids,  the  instinctive 
lowering  of  her  long  lashes  to  hide  her  tell-tale  eyes,  lest 
they  disclose  the  secrets  of  an  ardent  heart. 

Clapping  her  hands  in  recall,  one  of  the  priest-girls 
came  at  the  signal  of  her  mistress,  and  soon  after  the 
whole  cluster  of  maidens  came  and  brought  in  a  repast 
for  the  king  :  a  feast  consisting  of  baked  dog,  fish,  and 
bread-fruit  hot  from  the  earth-oven  without,  together 
with  poi  and  the  choice  fruits  with  which  the  valley 
abounds. 

When  the  evening  meal  was  spread  before  him,  the 
maidens  hastily  withdrew  because  of  the  perpetual  tabti 
against  women  eating  with  men.  A  still  more  oppressive 
phase  of  the  tabil  law  forbade  women  to  eat  of  the  best 
fruits  and  foods.  A  penalty  of  death  was  inflicted  for 
eating  a  cocoa-nut  or  banana  ;  and  pork,  and  many  other 
delicacies,  were  kapu  e  make  for  the  wahines. 

47 


48  Kamehame'ha  the  Great. 

When  the  king  had  finished  his  meal,  he  came  out  of 
the  heidu  and  sat  upon  the  veranda  with  the  kahiina 
girls,  with  whom  he  chatted  pleasantly  about  their  fright 
upon  his  arrival.  Most  of  these  wahines  had  previously 
seen  and  become  acquainted  with  Keoria,  a  handsome 
brother  of  the  king  of  Hawaii,  and  of  him  and  Kahekili 
they  wished  to  inquire,  expressing  their  admiration  of  the 
courtly  manners  of  both  the  royal  chiefs. 

So  an  hour  passed  pleasantly,  when  the  royal  guest 
expressed  a  wish  for  a  nearer  view  of  the  cataracts,  the 
greatest  wonder  of  the  kind  among  the  Pacific  isles. 
Wailele  left  the  chiefesses  to  "  tidy  up  "  the  temple  and 
the  abode  without,  and  accompanied  the  king  to  the 
head  of  the  valley,  half  a  mile  away. 

As  they  walked  through  the  green  meadows  along  the 
river-bank  a  brilliant  rainbow  sprang  across  the  deep 
vale,  arching  it  over  fiompd/i  to  pdli  j  as  if  in  greeting  to 
the  royal  guest. 

Hundreds  of  joyous  birds  flew  to  greet  them,  fluttering 
their  bright  plumage  and  pouring  out  their  liquid  notes 
to  attract  the  loved  mistress  as  she  passed,  unawed  by 
the  presence  of  the  stately  man  who  walked  gravely  at 
her  side. 

But  at  times  so  tender  were  the  glances  of  the  noble 
king,  so  winning  his  royal  smiles,  that  even  the  timid 
birds  might  well  have  been  drawn  to  him,  won  by  the 
magnetic  attraction  which  served  to  charm  their  im- 
perious mistress.  Great  indeed  must  have  been  the 
fascination  of  the  old  monarch  thus  to  lead  Wailele  to 
forget  her  dignity  of  priesthood,  and  surfer  him  to  clasp 
her  small  patrician  hand  as  they  walked  together,  she 
half  bewildered  by  the  ardor  that  was  glowing  in  his 
royal  eyes. 


Wooing  a  Priestess.  49 

The  valley  narrowed  quickly  as  they  approached  the 
falls,  until  at  length  they  stood  where  the  wind-blown 
spray  from  the  cataracts  fell  cool  and  grateful  upon  their 
upturned  faces.  The  younger  face  had  become  as 
flushed  and  radiant  as  the  winged  rainbows  that  floated 
off  from  the  feathery  margins  of  the  falling  waters. 

Making  choice  of  a  grassy  seat  on  the  river-bank, 
Wailele  and  the  king  sat  down  to  watch  the  cataracts, 
and  to  let  their  glory  and  vastness  touch  the  quivering 
fibres  of  their  souls. 

When  in  presence  of  such  elements  of  grandeur,  the 
mind  shrinks  from  giving  utterance  to  its  sweetest  rapt- 
ures. Awe-stricken,  and  tremulous  with  delight,  they 
listened  to  God's  voice  in  the  falling  waters,  as  to  the 
crash  of  ocean  waves  thundering  on  the  rock-bound 
shore. 

Was  it  not  instinctive  wisdom  in  the  wise  old  king  that 
led  him  to  entice  this  proud,  self-centred  woman  into  the 
spiritual  presence  of  a  greater  god  than  Pele  ? 

The  worship  of  idolatrous  gods  hardens  the  heart  and 
belittles  the  soul.  The  love  of  Nature's  God  softens  the 
heart,  disarms  pride,  and  engenders  kindly  feelings  for 
all  mankind.  It  is  questionable  if  the  king  could  have 
won  a  confession  of  love  from  the  woman  he  sought  for 
his  queen  had  he  not  wooed  her  in  the  hallowed  pres- 
ence of  Nature. 

No  pen  can  describe  the  conflicting  elements  of  beauty 
and  mystery  in  this  secluded  vale  of  Waimanu.  Charms 
of  ethereal  witchery  are  here  blended  with  grim  mysteries 
that  haunt  the  soul  as  when  one  stands  before  the  unhal- 
lowed graves  of  murderers. 

While  the  all-pervading  beauty  of  the  spot  may  fill  the 
soul  with  enchantment  and  the  ear  with  melody,  yet  on 


50  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

turning  the  eye  from  the  glorious  cataracts  to  the  Plu- 
tonic precipice  behind  them,  you  see  that  it  is  caverned 
into  catacombs  for  the  graves  of  a  thousand  murdered 
victims.  Then  mark  the  palpitant  heart-beat  !  the  fur- 
tive eye  searches  about  with  the  dreadful  assurance  of 
beholding  some  dismal  spirit  lurking  among  the  yawning 
sepulchres.  Foul  intangible  ghouls  are  said  to  be  flitting 
through  the  gloom  beneath  these  over-arching  waters. 
They  are  victims  from  the  black  altar  of  yon  heathen 
heidu  j-  victims  who  were  sacrificed  for  no  crime  known 
in  the  records  of  justice. 

It  is  only  by  a  strong  effort  that  one  can  rid  himself,  in 
the  upper  valley  of  Waimanu,  of  these  pervading  horrors. 
And  yet  such  scenic  beauty  cannot  be  found  anywhere 
else  in  Hawaii.  What  a  mighty  growth  of  forest-trees  is 
scattered  about  the  cataract !  what  gigantic  koa,  bread- 
fruit, and  ohia  trees  !  Their  luxuriance  of  foliage  is 
owing  to  the  constant  humidity  of  the  atmosphere, 
tempered  by  the  noonday  sun.  Some  of  these  giants 
grow  near  enough  to  reflect  their  emerald  leafage  in  the 
three  black  basalt  basins,  channelled  deep  and  wide  to 
receive  the  five  plunging  water-falls. 

Wailele  was  a  Moo-kahuna  (history-keeping  priest),  as 
were  most  of  the  high-caste  kahunas  who  were  descended 
from  Paao.  As  they  sat  there  discoursing  of  the  early 
history  of  priesthood  and  the  mighty  power  it  had 
attained  since  the  coming  of  her  ancestor,  two  centuries 
before, — a  subject  upon  which  the  gifted  priestess  was 
ever  eloquent, — the  watchful  eyes  of  the  adoring  monarch 
were  weighing  every  emotion  that  he  saw  welling  up  into 
the  animated  face  before  him. 

Slight  as  were  the  blushes  on  Wailele's  cheeks  while 
absorbed  in  her  duties  about  the  temple,  yet  now,  while 


Rebuking  the  King.  5 1 

sitting  there  beneath  the  ardent  gaze  of  the  king,  rosy 
and  impassioned  flushes  suffused  the  translucent  olive 
of  her  queenly  face, — heart-felt  blushes  caught  from  the 
sun-set  hues  of  her  native  clime.  The  exalted  emotions 
of  an  eloquent  woman  now  played  upon  the  sweet  mys- 
teries of  her  nature,  deftly  awakened  by  the  manly  king. 

Yet  with  all  this  glowing  tenderness  that  stole  like  a 
thief  into  the  vestal  heart  of  the  maiden,  it  needed  but 
one  quick  thought  to  recall  the  proud  celibate  to  herself  : 
the  thought  of  her  priesthood.  Then  she  was  aroused  as 
by  a  tempest.  A  pallor  whiter  than  the  hue  of  Kea's 
snows  mantled  over  her  cheeks.  The  roses  fled  from  her 
compressed  lips.  The  meek-eyed  maiden  of  a  moment 
since  had  vanished  ;  and  the  arrogant  Priestess  withdrew 
the  willing  clasp  of  her  hot  hand  now  cold  as  the  grave 
from  that  of  the  king.  She  sat  stern  and  pitiless  before 
the  rebuked  monarch,  as  if  he  enticed  her  to  a  crime, 
instead  of  love,  for  which  all  hearts  languish. 

In  such  moments  of  strong  revulsion  none  but  a 
thoughtless  man  would  seek  to  intrude  his  love-plaint 
upon  a  Priestess  of  Pele,  lest  she  stab  him  to  the  heart 
with  his  own  dagger-blade — an  act  which  Waile'le  seemed 
half  inclined  to  do. 

Not  until  the  roused  lightning  had  gone  out  of  her 
matchless  eyes,  and  the  pale  lips  were  winning  back  their 
roses  again,  did  the  angry  Priestess  venture  a  word  of 
rebuke  to  the  author  of  her  emotion — the  loved  intruder 
into  her  vestal  sanctity.  When  she  spoke,  her  lips  were 
tremulous,  and  her  eyes  were  rilling  with  tears.  For 
none  knew  better  than  Wailele  what  was  due  to  this 
noblest  of  men  sitting  there  as  her  guest.  It  was  his 
privilege  to  woo  any  woman  in  the  land.  No  limit  was 
put  upon  the  number  of  queens  for  a  Hawaiian  king. 


52  Kamthatntha  the  Great. 

"  O  king  !  why  have  you  of  all  men  come  to  intrude 
upon  my  sacred  duties  to  the  gods  of  Mukini  ?  Noble 
man,  is  the  great  world  above  not  large  enough  for  your 
state-craft  and  conquests,  that  you  must  come  seeking 
yet  another  woman  as  a  bauble  for  your  throne  ?  Why 
need  you  swoop  down  into  our  peaceful  valley,  like  an 
eagle  frenzied  for  a  mate  ? 

"  Go  back  into  the  upper  world  and  leave  Mukini  as 
you  found  it.  Leave  Wailele  to  the  peace  and  piety  she 
loves.  Leave  her  to  the  thankless  task  of  regenerating  a 
great  nation.  Go  !  and  seek  your  conquests,  whether  of 
queens  or  of  kingdoms,  anywhere  but  in  Waimanu." 

As  the  grieved  woman  ceased  speaking  she  reluctantly 
laid  her  hand  in  the  proffered  palm  of  the  king.  For 
one  moment  the  humbled  monarch  was  full  of  that  noble 
sympathy  that  the  vestal  asked.  But  ah  !  how  could  he 
give  her  up  ?  Did  man  ever  rise  to  the  nobleness  of  re- 
specting a  woman's  piety  when  piety  barred  his  path  to 
love  ?  And  then,  had  not  Wailele  made  herself  all  the 
more  beautiful  in  his  eyes  by  this  new  charm  in  her  char- 
acter ?  The  charm  of  refusing  to  be  won  is  the  strongest 
attraction  in  a  woman's  magnet  of  love. 

The  majestic  man  had  looked  calmly,  almost  coldly, 
upon  the  sudden  bursting  of  her  storm  clouds,  gravely 
feigning  to  be  in  doubt  as  to  the  cause  of  such  an 
uncalled-for  outburst.  And  well  could  he  wait  for  a 
calm,  knowing  well  that  the  more  impassioned  the 
woman  the  more  strongly  will  she  bind  herself  in  the 
silken  toils  of  love  at  last. 

By  the  fathomless  depth  of  her  large  dark  eyes  and 
the  auroral  splendor  of  her  blushes,  and  by  the  passing 
away  of  her  anger  like  a  cloud,  the  king  knew  that 
Wailele  was  already  steeped  in  the  first  delicious  emotions 


In  the  Toils  of  Love.  53 

of  l6ve.  Such  emotions  are  irrevocable  ;  such  joy,  once 
tasted,  ripens  into  willing  wedlock  as  surely  as  first  fruit 
ripens  upon  the  parent  tree. 

Though  the  dignity  of  her  sacred  mission  remained, 
yet  a  new-born  witchery  now  possessed  her  maidenly 
soul.  The  stern  monitress  of  sacerdotal  life  had  now 
found  her  master.  Strain  at  her  new  shackles  as  she 
would,  in  moments  of  remembered  duty,  yet  love,  once 
harbored  in  a  virgin  heart,  cannot  be  cast  out ;  it  grows 
like  a  deluge  of  sunbeams,  until  it  floods  the  young 
being  with  glory. 

The  life-purpose  of  Wailele  was  indeed  the  noblest 
inspiration  in  her  barbaric  sphere.  As  we  have  said,  she 
was  descended  from  a  long  line  of  Kahtina  maoli  (high- 
caste  priests)  dating  back  to  the  landing  of  the  priest 
who  built  Mukini  in  the  dark  ages  of  history, — the  very 
"  night  time  of  Hawaii." 

Born  among  the  idolatrous  delusions  of  priestcraft, 
but  gifted  to  see  its  ills,  she  early  formed  the  purpose  to 
abjure  the  cruelty  of  its  many  heathen  rites,  and  lessen 
its  crimes  of  human  sacrifice,  lust,  and  rapacity.  She 
entered  the  priesthood  with  the  strong  heart  of  a  noble 
woman  wholly  devoted  to  the  life  of  a  vestal,  and  with 
the  firm  belief  that  a  maiden's  purity  is  the  surest  pass- 
port to  the  presence  of  deity.  She  sought  to  become 
the  oracle  of  Pele,  for  the  surer  redemption  of  her 
superstitious  and  priestridden  people. 

So  great  had  been  her  success,  so  truthful  her  marvel- 
lous oracles  from  the  gods,  and  so  prescient  her  own  wise 
prophecies  to  the  people — uttered  in  her  dual  office  of 
Kaula  (prophet)  and  Kahtina, — that  at  the  opening  of  our 
theme  the  matchless  beauty  and  devotion  of  Wailele  per- 
vaded every  household  in  the  Eight  Isles.  Her  influence 


54  Kamthameha  the  Great. 

was  not  unlike  the  ever-present  vision  of  the  Madonna 
in  the  pious  homesteads  of  Christendom. 

Instead  of  human  victims  being  now  snatched  from 
her  native  valley  for  sacrifices  upon  her  altar ;  instead, 
even,  of  accepting  as  victims  the  deluded  few  who  some- 
times— when  demented  by  grief  for  some  dead  love  or 
lost  friend — wished  to  immolate  themselves  to  Pele,* 
Wailele  fed  her  altar  during  Kdpu-kdne  (the  time  of 
human  sacrifices)  with  tender  Ilio  poll,  young  dogs 
nursed  as  we  have  seen,  and  these  she  made  acceptable 
to  Pele  instead  of  human  victims,  so  repulsive  to  her 
own  tender  soul. 

Up  to  this  hour  the  young  Kdhtina  wahine  had  stood 
solitary  and  alone  in  her  reforms.  More  than  this,  she 
had  kept  herself  pure  and  undefiled,  subduing  the 
frailty  of  her  sex  in  Hawaii.  She  was  as  unapproach- 
able as  the  snow-peaks  of  Kea's  mountain  crown, 
although  because  of  her  exalted  rank  and  marvellous 
beauty  kings  had  sued  at  her  feet. 

Kahekili — the  renowned  "  Thunderer,'r — the  greatest 
monarch  and  the  bravest  warrior  among  Maui's  long  line 
of  fighting  kings,  was  among  her  supplicants,  coming  to 
obtain  a  prophecy  from  the  far-famed  Priestess  concern- 
ing his  impending  wars  with  Oahu.  Though  he  was  the 
husband  of  other  lovely  queens,  the  gallant  king  had 
received  from  the  imperious  beauty  oracles  for  which 
he  gladly  left  his  great  heart  in  payment. 

Keoua,  the  handsome  courtier  and  brother  of  Hawaii's 
king,  later  the  monarch  of  Kau,  came  on  a  secret  mis- 
sion from  Kalaniopuu,  was  capsized  in  the  frightful  surf 
that  guards  the  valley,  and  though  just  escaping  with  his 
life,  gladly  repeated  his  visit  because  of  his  love  for 

*  Such  a  victim  was  offered  at  the  death  of  Kame'hameha  in  1819. 


Storming  the  Citadel.  55 

Wailele.  Rumor  tells  not  how  well  he  performed  the 
several  missions  for  his  sovereign  ;  but  it  was  recorded 
by  every  enamoured  priestess  of  Mukini  that  this  capti- 
vating nobleman  left  his  heart  behind. 

It  was  further  said  that  the  heart  thus  lost- by  Keoua 
was  shared  by  six  claimants,  and  equally  distributed 
among  the  priest-girls  about  the  heidu,  so  captivated 
were  all  but  Wailele  with  this  handsomest  of  living  men. 

The  romantic  interpretation  of  Keoua's  name  is  "  Rain 
Food,"  and  for  many  a  month  after  the  courtier's  mem- 
orable visit  to  Mukini  every  sun-shower  that  blew  in  with 
the  trade-wind  was  adored  as  much  by  the  six  ardent 
wahines  as  by  the  thirsty  flowers.  To  this  day  the  sun- 
showers  of  Waimanu  are  looked  upon  as  the  weeping 
ghost-spirit  of  the  disconsolate  Rain  Food  ;  and  he  has 
become  the  beau  ideal  of  every  maiden's  heart — her  best 
type  of  manly  beauty  and  undying  devotion. 

How  sad  it  is  that  the  very  temerity  of  a  strong  woman, 
like  Wailele,  ever  becomes  her  first  source  of  danger  in 
affairs  of  the  heart  !  Because  of  her  acquired  strength 
and  courage,  already  tested  in  the  social  arena  with 
courtly  men,  and  of  the  very  integrity  of  her  heart, 
woman  wrongfully  estimates  her  moral  strength  when  she 
defies  all  comers.  Such  a  woman  may  be  gifted  beyond 
all  others  in  the  subtle  mysteries  and  divine  methods  of 
her  life-mission,  and  yet,  alas  !  most  ignorant  of  the 
veiled  arcana  of  her  own  lovely  being. 

The  primal  strength  of  a  great  heart  lies  rather  in  the 
vital  than  the  intellectual  sphere — the  lower  rather  than 
the  upper  brain, — and  whatever  the  strength  of  the 
strongest  feminine  citadel,  there  are  ever  spies  within  and 
foes  without  cunningly  awaiting  the  dominant  hour  of 
human  exaltation  presided  over  by  the  planetary  powers 
of  the  stellar  world. 


56  Kamdhamtka  the  Great. 

Thus,  because  Wailele  has  tested  her  maiden  shield 
against  the  subtle  influence  of  Maui's  gallant  king  and 
Hawaii's  most  captivating  chief,  without  dimming  her 
bright  escutcheon,  it  was  with  the  feminine  vanity  that 
belongs  to  the  weakest  of  her  sex  that  she  now  deemed 
herself  unconquerable  by  any  comer,  even  by  this  wily 
old  king. 

Well  might  such  royal  homage  instil  a  just  pride  into 
the  heart  of  a  cloistered  vestal  and  impart  a  yet  more 
imperious  look  to  the  impassioned  beauty.  Even  the 
haughtiest  chiefs,  when  they  came  to  crave  her  priestly 
intercession  with  the  gods,  quailed  under  the  arrogance 
of  her  dark  eyes. 

Yet  because  of  this  sweet  feminine  weakness,  woman's 
inherent  love  of  conquest,  Wailele  had  increased  her 
priestly  assiduity  at  the  altar.  At  times  she  properly 
reproached  herself  for  that  in  which  her  maiden  heart  se- 
cretly delighted  as  the  glory  of  her  young  existence.  So 
sweet  a  sin  it  was  to  dote  over  in  her  pensive  moods  !  Such 
a  delicious  titbit  to  deplore  in  pious  moments  of  humility. 

Thus,  when  the  new-comer  came  so  suddenly  and  un- 
announced into  Wailele's  presence,  he  found  the  bolts  and 
bars  of  her  unconquered  citadel  all  flung  back,  and  every 
portal  open  in  proud  disdain  of  danger,  come  who  would, 
and  woo  who  might  her  self-poised  heart. 

But  the  best  wooers  among  men  put  not  their  ultimate 
intent  into  words.  Words  are  too  material  outriders  to 
rudely  approach  such  an  ethereal  combatant  as  love.  It 
is  not  by  the  rattle  of  spurs  and  the  clang  of  sabre  that 
such  an  alert  maiden  as  Wailele  can  be  won.  Even 
supplicating  words  create  antagonism  with  a  proud  and 
arrogant  woman,  and  put  her  upon  the  defensive  before 
an  opportunity  for  the  conquest  can  be  gained. 


How  to  Woo.  57 

The  wise  man  has  other  methods  than  these.  His  per- 
suasive approach,  his  courtly  manners,  fail  not  to  create 
interest  and  awaken  some  degree  of  curiosity  as  to  his 
full  intent.  His  art  is  to  compel  his  fair  companion  to 
do  the  manoeuvring  for  the  conquest  which  he  himself 
came  to  win. 

Here  lies  the  strength  of  a  wise  man's  strategy.  If  his 
attentions  are  repelled  as  intrusive,  the  defence  of  the 
wooer  is  to  disclaim  the  construction  put  upon  his  acts  ; 
and  if  no  ground  is  won  in  these  first  approaches,  at 
least  none  is  lost.  If,  on  the  contrary,  his  attentions 
are  reciprocated,  the  clue  of  approach  is  found  ;  and  this, 
warily  followed  up,  fails  not  to  lead  the  cunning  wooer 
into  the  inmost  chambers  of  that  most  profound  of  laby- 
rinths, the  woman's  heart  that  he  seeks  to  make  his  own. 

The  proud  old  king,  who  came  ostensibly  to  receive  an 
oracle  and  consult  the  gods  as  to  his  future  desires,  made 
that  object  his  cloak.  He  became  more  imperious  in 
manner,  more  haughty  in  mien,  than  the  glorious  creature 
whose  prophecy  he  sought  and  whose  love  he  determined 
to  win.  He  knew  the  experience  of  his  brother  chiefs, 
and  meant  not  to  be  wrecked  where  lay  the  stranded 
hearts  of  others. 

Not  a  word  of  love  or  admiration  had  passed  the  mon- 
arch's lips,  and  but  for  his  dignity  of  manner  and  suavity 
of  tone  his  imperious  language  and  commanding  air 
might  have  aroused  Wailele's  antagonism,  in  fear  that 
the  priestly  prerogative  of  her  temple  should  be  assailed. 

The  grand  old  man  before  her  talked  with  his  tongue, 
but  expressed  his  real  thoughts  only  with  his  telltale  eyes. 
His  words  seemed  gravely  charged  with  the  state  business 
that  brought  him  to  the  heidu.  But  his  looks  were  full 
of  unmistakable  admiration  of  the  woman  before  him. 


58  Kame'hamtha  the  Great. 

Revelling  in  the  exquisite  beauty  of  her  dark  eyes,  so 
unconsciously  illuminated  by  his  presence  and  by  the 
topic  of  discussion,  he  watched  with  keenest  observation 
the  witching  play  of  thoughts  and  feelings  in  her  mobile 
face,  and  interpreted  them  before  her  tongue  found 
words. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  hour's  discussion  in  the  temple 
Wailele  found  herself  piqued  and  dissatisfied  with  the 
courtly  gravity  of  her  guest.  The  commanding  monarch 
seemed  to  require  homage  without  a  thought  of  return- 
ing it.  And  yet  his  hostess  was  of  blood  as  royal  as  his 
own,  and  her  royal  ancesters  had  not  only  reigned  over 
Hawaii  but  had  even  dethroned  a  king  and  ruled  tri- 
umphantly in  his  stead.* 

A  proud  woman  soon  comes  to  doubt  the  power  of  her 
much-vaunted  beauty  when  in  the  presence  of  a  person 
who  fails  to  laud  her  charms.  At  such  times  she  finds 
herself  ill  at  ease  ;  she  watches  with  nervous  solicitude 
for  some  recognition  of  her  charms,  and  puts  forth 
renewed  efforts  to  captivate  the  tardy  delinquent.  But, 
do  and  say  what  she  would,  not  a  responsive  word  of  ad- 
miration passed  the  king's  lips.  Wailele  was  thus  forced 
to  be  content  with  the  kindling  affection  that  she  saw  in 
his  piercing  eyes. 

When  a  proud  woman  seeks  to  exact  the  homage  she 
deems  her  due,  she  will  soon  find  herself  endeavoring  to 
compel  admiration  from  all  comers.  A  vain  woman  once 
fairly  entered  upon  such  a  conquest  will  give  up  every 
thing  rather  than  abandon  the  task. 

In  her  cool,  calm  moments  Wailele  was  not  a  woman 
to  lose  herself  in  pursuit  of  a  sentiment.  But  in  the  na- 

*  Hakau,  the  wicked  king,  was  slain  by  order  of  Kaokioku,  the 
priest,  whose  foster-son  came  to  the  throne. 


How  to  Woo.  59 

ture  of  all  women  there  are  extraneous  influences  that 
wield  a  weird  and  mysterious  power  over  their  too 
receptive  hearts  ;  a  power  not  only  beyond  their  control, 
but  often  wholly  out  of  the  scope  of  their  knowledge. 
From  the  thrall  of  this  primordial  power  the  strongest 
and  purest  may  not  always  escape,  unless  forearmed  by 
knowledge  of  the  subtle  source  of  the  ambushed  danger 
that  awaits  them  beneath  the  lunar  ray. 


VII. 

MYSTERIOUS    SACRIFICE     BY    MOONLIGHT. 

AS  they  walked  homeward  by  the  river  the  vast  gray 
shadows  of  the  early  evening  drew  down  over 
the  valley,  soothing  the  ruffled  mood  of  the  haughty 
priestess.  She  suffered  the  king  to  retain  her  hand, 
which  was  still  cold  and  tremulous  from  her  late  angry 
mood.  The  warm  magnetic  clasp  of  the  monarch's 
hand  soon  brought  the  hot  current  back  again,  soothing 
every  wild  pulsation  throughout  her  being,  as  only  the 
tender  touch  of  a  loving  hand  could  do. 

Wailele  was  a  superb  specimen  of  womanly  beauty  as 
she  walked  with  flushed  cheeks  and  drooping  eyelids 
beside  the  stalwart  king  ;  and  her  own  generous  physique 
and  commanding  presence  made  her  all  the  more  charm- 
ing. Yet  there  were  conflicting  traits  in  this  brilliant 
woman  which  amazed  him.  Subdued  and  abashed  as 
she  seemed  at  this  moment,  still  there  was  always  a  half 
reverent,  half  imperious  spirit  of  self-consciousness 
pervading  her  aspect,  and  it  puzzled  even  the  king  to 
understand  it. 

The  royal  pair  arrived  at  the  house.  The  priest-girls 
and  other  wahines  had  been  busy,  during  the  absence  of 
their  mistress,  preparing  for  the  coming  sacrifice  in  the 
temple,  and  wreathing  their  heads  with  lets  of  flowers 
and  their  necks  with  garlands  of  blossoming  vines. 

They  were  still  mirthfully  occupied  among  the  delicate 
60 


Twilight  Scenes.  61 

tendrils  of  running  ferns.  Some  were  deftly  weaving  the 
tessellated  flowers  of  the  ohia,  crimson  as  the  red-bird's 
wing,  into  garlands  with  which  to  decorate  the  holy 
altar  and  festoon  the  shrine  of  prayer,  where  their 
haughty  priestess  confronted  the  gods  to  receive  their 
mandates,  and  in  turn  appealed  to  them  for  yet  greater 
pity  in  dealing  with  human  sins. 

Soon  after,  the  king  was  left  to  his  own  reveries  while 
Wailele  and  her  wahines  went  into  the  heidu  to  dress  the 
temple  and  to  light  the  fragrant  torches  of  MMi  nuts 
strung  upon  the  wire-like  ribs  of  the  cocoa-nut  leaf. 

The  water-falls  were  still  dimly  seen  through  the  deep- 
ening gloom  from  the  veranda.  The  lofty  crest  of  the 
mountain  was  yet  rimmed  about  with  clear  amethyst  and 
gold  ;  for  the  sun,  already  set  to  all  below,  tarried  there 
like  a  lover  for  a  farewell  kiss  upon  the  snowy  brow, 
where  he  lingered  at  his  setting,  and  which  first  he 
greeted  at  the  dawn. 

Ere  the  last  sunbeams  had  faded  on  the  mountain 
top,  the  night  swooped  down  over  Waimanu  with  the 
haste  of  a  famished  eagle.  Darkness  clutched  with  hun- 
gry talons  at  every  hollow  ;  and  Silence  stalked  into  the 
vale,  hooded  like  a  monk,  followed  by  ghostly  spirits 
from  out  their  caverns  in  the  cliff.  A  hush  fell  upon 
the  joyous  bird-songs  and  the  thousand  choruses  of  the 
brief  tropic  day.  Even  the  brave  old  king  cowered  at 
the  unseemly  haste  of  the  gloom.  The  vast  cataracts 
still  leaped  from  out  the  starlit  heavens,  yet  tempered 
their  turbulent  voices  as  they  groped  down  into  the  gulf 
of  inky  blackness  below.  The  solemn  nocturne  of  their 
waters  sounded  like  a  multitudinous  wail  over  the  mur- 
dered dead. 

No  wonder   that  men's  hearts  grew  sorrowful  amid 


62  Kam&amtka  the  Great. 

such  scenes  in  a  strange  valley,  a  valley  so  deep  that 
every  star  shone  out  while  yet  the  sun  triumphed  upon 
the  last  snows  of  Mauna  Kea.  No  wonder  that  a  whis- 
per of  sadness  stole  timidly  up  from  the  once  babbling 
river  now  bereft  of  its  companion  bird-songs. 

Even  the  mighty  ocean  at  the  foot  of  the  valley  is 
mindful  of  the  mandate  sent  forth  by  the  usurping  night, 
and  softens  his  crash  of  thunders  against  the  lava  cliffs, 
subduing  his  unruly  breakers  where  they  flounder  on  the 
pebbly  shore. 

Pemilani,  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  priest-girls,  now 
came  to  ask  the  king  to  come  into  the  temple  to  rest 
after  his  walk.  There  he  was  met  by  Wailele,  who  was 
perfecting  her  preparations  for  the  midnight  sacrifice. 

Two  beautiful  lets  (wreaths)  of  gardenia  were  lying  on 
his  couch,  filling  the  whole  temple  with  fragrance.  One 
lei  was  evidently  designed  for  the  king,  from  the  floral 
crown*  of  yellow  flowers  attached  to  the  wreath  ;  the 
other,  for  the  priestess,  was  to  be  worn  during  the  hour 
of  sacrifice. 

As  the  kahiina  wahines  were  still  occupied  about  the 
temple  under  the  direction  of  their  chiefess,  the  king 
lay  on  his  couch  to  watch  what  occurred.  Pemilani 
took  her  seat  behind  the  mot  to  ply  her  kahili,  and  sang 
in  order  to  woo  the  royal  guest  to  slumber. 

Before  he  slept,  Wailele  and  her  maidens  finished  their 
labors  of  festooning  the  lele  (altar)  and  the  holy  aim 
(holy  of  holies),  and  began  chanting  a  religious  melody. 

A  row  of  flickering  candle-nut  torchlights  were  placed 
about  the  lele,  casting  long  moving  shadows  over  the 
temple,  while  the  six  alii  wahines  (chief  girls)  paced  sol- 
emnly around  the  altar,  dressed  only  in  their  flimsy pau 
(skirt)  and  floral  decorations. 

*  They  imitated  pictures  of  crowns  worn  by  the  Spanish  kings. 


The  Sacrifice.  63 

Conspicuous  above  her  pretty  compeers  towered  the 
beautiful  priestess,  tall  as  the  hugest  chief  of  her  native 
valley.  Yet  the  ill  effect  of  such  unusual  height  in  woman 
was  fully  redeemed  by  her  majestic  mien,  and  by  the 
exquisite  symmetry  of  her  figure,  as  the  lines  of  marine 
modelling  find  their  best  expression  only  in  vessels  of  the 
largest  class. 

Pemilani  tuned  her  lullaby  to  the  weird  chants  sung 
by  the  chiefesses  as  they  glided  dimly  about  the  altar. 
The  last  thing  seen  by  the  drowsy  king,  through  eyes 
grown  misty  with  sleep,  was  the  priestess  retiring  into  the 
holy  of  holies  for  a  last  communication  with  the  gods  be- 
fore offering  the  ilio  poli  to  Pele.  Thus  slept  the  royal 
chieftain  in  peaceful  slumber,  while  the  wahines  sang  and 
the  Kahuna  prayed  in  her  shrine  in  behalf  of  her  sov- 
ereign guest. 

When  the  king  awoke  from  his  slumber,  the  moon  was 
riding  high  over  the  valley  ;  the  altar  fire  was  smoulder- 
ing about  the  charred  remains  of  the  ilio,  its  smoke 
lazily  gyrating  up  through  the  aperture  in  the  top  of  the 
temple,  dimming  the  lustre  of  the  stars  as  it  rose  into  the 
windless  heavens.  The  sacrifice  to  Pele  by  the  mystic 
light  of  Hoku  was  over. 

The  king  was  awakened  by  the  singing  priest-girls 
without  the  temple,  crooning  their  melodious  meles 
(songs)  to  Pele,  as  they  gazed  with  supplicant  faces  upon 
the  midnight  moon.  Soft  and  sweet  was  their  prayerful 
chant.  There  was  not  a  sibilant  consonant  in  their  bird- 
like  notes,  which  caught  their  tearful  key  from  the  rip- 
pling river,  the  sighing  air  made  drowsy  with  perfume, 
and  the  deep  monotone  of  the  mighty  cataracts. 

The  maidens  soon  ceased  their  chant,  and  the  king 
dropped  into  slumber  again.  But  after  a  brief  pause 


64  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

they  again  broke  out  into  a  sensuous  rhapsody  to  the 
moon,  which  bathed  their  pretty  faces  in  her  beams.  At 
length,  as  by  some  common  impulse,  they  sang  a  mele 
aloha — a  love  song — of  a  king  and  a  priestess  of  yore, 
when  the  Spanish  galleon  was  wrecked  on  Pau  Pele  (Pele 
Point)  in  the  long-gone  centuries  ;  when  the  haole  wahine 
— the  white  maiden — knelt  down  on  the  shore  at  Kulou, 
"  the  place  of  prayer,"  and  was  taken  as  the  fittest  sub- 
ject to  bear  kings  for  the  great  Isle  of  Hawaii. 

And  of  such  descent  was  their  guest,  the  king.  Fit 
match  was  he  for  the  beautiful  Priestess  of  Waimanu, 
she  who  was  descended  from  the  white  priest  Paao,  the 
noblest  Spaniard  of  them  all.  As  the  song  died  away, 
and  only  the  silence  and  the  moonlight  filled  the  temple, 
the  half-awakened  monarch  heard  a  sigh  in  the  gloom 
behind  him.  Turning,  he  saw  Wailele  sitting  in  the 
darkness,  her  figure  outlined  against  the  moonlight, 
silently  waving  her  kahili  over  him. 

The  king  spoke  to  the  priestess  and  bade  her  come  to 
his  side.  The  sigh  of  a  lonely  maiden,  when  winged 
with  a  moonbeam,  sinks  like  a  plummet  into  the  heart  of 
man.  Taking  her  hand  in  his  they  talked  of  the  sacri- 
fice, which  the  king  was  purposely  exempted  from  see- 
ing ;  for  the  pure-hearted  Kahuna  had  then  wrestled 
with  the  gods  as  never  before. 

The  dread  oracle  of  fate  which  the  gods  had  promul- 
gated was  not  to  her  liking,  and  Wailele  was  made  sad. 
A  lone  heart  beneath  the  moonlight  is  made  doubly  sor- 
rowful because  of  its  loneliness,  its  want  of  companion- 
ship, its  tender  yearning  for  love.  None  but  a  stern- 
hearted  vestal,  in  such  an  hour,  could  refuse  the  love  of 
a  king. 

The  priest-girls  had  gone  away  to  their  couches.    The 


A  Tropic  Night.  65 

singing  lizards  were  now  piping  their  loudest  chorus  to 
the  blended  voices  of  the  night.  The  gentle  land-winds 
came  cool  from  the  mountain  snows,  made  heavy  with 
aroma  snatched  from  the  wayside  flowers.  The  stars 
shone  softly  in  the  cloudless  sky,  but  dimmed  by  the 
strong  lustre  of  the  full-orbed  moon. 

Since  the  sudden  moon-burst  over  the  south  pdli 
drowsy  nature  had  seemed  less  solicitous  to  hush  her 
teeming  voices.  The  river  was  again  rippling  vocally 
over  its  crystal  bed  of  sand.  And  after  hours  of  almost 
perfect  stillness,  the  joyful  sea  was  now  becoming  restless. 
The  land-winds  had  rudely  awakened  the  blossoms  soft 
folded  in  sleep,  as  they  romped  merrily  down  the  valley 
to  the  sea.  The  orange  *  buds  and  ohia  flowers  burst 
into  bloom,  in  half  belief  it  was  day,  exhaling  their  fra- 
grance to  the  breeze,  all  blending  in  delicious  dalliance 
beneath  the  gaze  of  the  moon. 

Most  glad  of  all  things  in  the  valley  were  the  water-falls 
arched  above  the  sepulchres.  The  moon  looked  over 
the  pdli  and  fringed  their  white  curves  rosy  with  lunar 
rainbows.  A  thousand  hovering  mist-spirits  floated 
hither  and  thither,  born  of  the  falling  waters  and  the 
witching  moonbeam.  *  *  * 

*  Oranges  and  coffee  were  among  the  exotics  brought  by  Spaniards 
long  prior  to  Cook's  time. 


VIII. 

MOON-SPIRITS   IN    THE    VALLEY. 

HIGH  upon  the  mountain  side  overlooking  Wai- 
manu,  rose  clear  and  distinct  against  the  forest 
belt  the  black-walled  heidu  of  Puukeekee.  There  took 
place  the  most  cruel  human  sacrifices  that  were  known 
among  all  the  temples  of  Pele.  Pepehi  was  the  High- 
Priest,  the  murderous  half-brother  of  the  beautiful 
Priestess  of  Mukini,  the  most  feared  of  all  the  kahtina 
maoli  on  Hawaii. 

Greater  disparity  of  character  among  close  kindred 
than  this  the  world  has  not  known.  One,  a  truthful  and 
pious  spirit,  full  of  the  noblest  sensibilities  of  humanity ; 
supplying  her  heathen  altar  with  brute  beasts  only,  made 
acceptable  to  the  deity  of  her  temple  by  the  tender 
nature  of  women  ;  the  other,  a  man  who  seized  upon 
every  occasion,  whether  grave  or  trifling,  to  slaughter  his 
brother  man,  piling  his  foul  altars  with  bleeding  human 
victims,  sacrificed  with  accessory  acts  of  inhuman  cru- 
elty, in  the  dread  name  of  Pele. 

During  the  afternoon,  while  Wailele  and  the  king  were 
sauntering  up  the  river,  the  greenish-blue  smoke  of  a 
human  sacrifice  was  seen  rising  above  the  mountain 
heidu.  Pepehi  had  piled  his  stone  altar  with  dead 
Kanakas,  and  sat  eating  of  their  cooked  livers  and  pre- 
pared entrails  while  his  inferior  kahtinas  roasted  the 
slaughtered  victims. 

66 


The  Mountain  Heidu.  67 

That  hour  of  dread  immolation  at  Pimkeekee  was  the 
genial  hour  of  love  at  Mukini.  The  brutal  priest  turned 
his  dull  eyes  down  upon  Waimanu,  the  loved  valley  of 
his  birth,  and  beheld  with  surprise  the  brilliant  rainbow 
arching  lovingly  over  his  boyhood's  home.  Gloated  as 
he  was  with  human  flesh,  his  fierce  red  eyes  shone  with  a 
malignant  light  as  he  watched  the  beautiful  sign  in  the 
heavens. 

What  could  be  its  import  ?  Pepehi  asked,  as  he  sat  on 
the  high  terrace  of  stone  beside  his  smoking  altar.  He 
had  believed  himself  the  most  favored  among  the  priest- 
hood because  of  his  love  for  the  inhuman  duty  assigned 
to  the  kahunas  of  Pele.  But  here  was  a  token  of  her 
approbation  of  another  which  the  jealous  priest  could 
not  fathom. 

With  a  look  of  hatred  gleaming  in  his  deep-sunken 
eyes,  Pepehi  watched  the  radiant  sun-bow  fade  slowly 
away  in  the  evening  sky.  Sated  as  he  was  with  his  hu- 
man feast,  and  drunk  with  awa,  he  fell  asleep  and  slept 
till  the  midnight  moon  hung  over  the  valley  of  Waimanu, 
casting  its  heavenly  benediction  down  wherever  human 
hearts  met  in  holy  impulse  of  love. 

And  lo  !  when  the  priest  awoke,  with  a  drunken  leer 
in  his  eye,  from  too  much  awa,  there  slowly  dawned 
upon  his  bewildered  vision  another  fairy  emblem  of 
beauty  yet  more  evanescent  and  mystic  than  the  rainbow 
of  the  afternoon.  A  radiant  lunar  bow  now  spanned  the 
dark  valley  from  pdli  to  pdliy  arched  above  the  temple  of 
Mukini. 

Here  was  a  double  mystery  to  be  explained  by  the 
crafty  old  Kahuna  of  Puukeekee.  It  implied  a  double 
and  yet  more  delicate  sanction  of  some  act  of  accepted 
devotion  of  the  vestal  Priestess  of  the  valley.  In  what 


68  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

manner,  he  asked,  could  the  worship  of  his  priestly 
father's  daughter  be  made  more  acceptable  to  Pele  than 
his  own  energetic  kdpu  kdne — human  sacrifice  ?  Could 
it  be  that  Wailele's  ilio poll  were  more  acceptable  in  the 
Goddess'  eyes  than  his  own  hecatomb  of  human  flesh  ? 

Pepehi  grew  enraged  as  he  watched  the  beauteous 
lunar-bow.  He  saw  its  soft  prismatic  colors  deepening, 
its  clean-cut  arch  spanning  the  vine-covered  walls  of 
Mukini,  like  a  heavenly  benediction  of  Ke  Akua  maole 
(the  real  God)  which  an  aged  prophet  had  recently  dis- 
covered in  the  sky.* 

What  could  it  mean  ?  Was  a  kahtina  wahine — a 
priest-girl — becoming  of  more  importance  in  Hawaii  net 
than  an  all-powerful  kahiina  maole,  or  high-caste  priest  ? 

As  Pepehi  continued  gazing  in  this  vengeful  mood,  a 
timid  flickering  glow  came  forth  from  the  altar-fire  of 
Mukini,  casting  its  thin  rift  of  modest  light  up  through 
the  aperture  in  the  temple  roof.  It  was  as  the  glow  of  a 
farthing  candle  to  the  lurid  gleam  of  Pepehi's  holocaust 
on  the  mountain.  Yet  the  visible  sign  and  blessing  of 
the  gods  hung  like  a  halo  over  the  lesser  altar-fire  of  the 
valley,  to  the  shameful  exclusion  of  his  dreadful  fire  of 
human  flesh,  which  now  cast  its  fitful  glare  even  upon 
Mauna  Kea's  crest  of  snow. 

Gazing  with  a  yet  clearer  vision,  Pepehi  could  later 
distinguish  figures  of  aerial  light  gathering  in  countless 
numbers  on  the  luminous  arch  of  the  lunar-bow,  and 
flitting  above  the  temple,  around  the  dying  glow  of  the 
altar-fire  of  Wailele.  A  busy  convocation  of  winged 

*  In  the  days  of  which  we  write  a  good  old  priest  and  prophet, 
Kalaikuahulu  by  name,  much  given  to  sagacious  predictions,  prophe- 
sied :  "  There  is  certainly  another  God  than  Pele; — Ke  Akua  maole, 
living  in  the  sky.  He  will  yet  come  to  us  ;  and  after  this  there 
shall  be  no  more  tabii." 


Moon  Spirits.  69 

spirits  at  length  pervaded  the  whole  dark  valley.  Some 
of  these  airy  beings  appeared  as  timid  as  lovers'  dreams, 
and  as  soft  in  radiance  as  St.  Elmo's  tribes.  Others  of 
greater  dimensions  were  yet  more  visibly  luminous  ; 
they  pulsated  with  a  soft  lustrous  light,  and  their  eyes 
answered  tenderly  to  other  loving  eyes  in  the  sacred 
temple  below. 

Hours  passed,  and  yet  time  was  as  nought  to  the  spell- 
bound priest  of  the  mountain  heidu.  The  bow  of 
promise  hung  over  Waimanu  until  the  morning.  Long 
past  its  usual  hour  the  carolling  land-wind  ventured 
softly  down  the  mountain  side,  freshening  gently  as  it 
approached  the  shore,  but  stealing  tender-footed  as  it 
blew,  so  solicitous  was  the  breeze  not  to  disturb  the  com- 
munion of  Invisibles  in  the  sacred  vale,  where  every 
flower  cried  "  Hush  !  "  in  softest  undertone. 

Never  did  mountain  streams  sing  so  sweetly  as  in  that 
hour  ;  toning  down  their  jubilant  voices  to  listen,  curious 
as  maiden  ears  to  catch  the  faintest  sounds  of  love  in  the 
valley  below.  Even  the  loud-mouthed  sea  forgot  its 
bluster  in  this  hallowed  hour,  floundering  less  noisily 
than  usual  far  down  on  the  rock-bound  shore.  The 
resounding  dirges  of  ocean  were  now  softened  into  the 
tenderest  bassoon  known  to  a  lover's  ears. 

Beside  the  countless  throng  of  fairy  folk  which  then 
peopled  the  mystic  valley,  only  heathen  gods  and  holy 
angels  were  suffered  to  witness  the  hallowed  act  of  sac- 
rifice to  Pele  on  that  eventful  night.  And  only  these 
nocturnal  Invisibles  could  sanction  the  immolation  that 
was  made  in  the  holy  temple  in  obedience  to  the  divine 
will  of  Pele,  prompted  by  the  blended  influences  of 
the  mystic  hour  of  midnight  and  the  lunar  orb. 


IX. 

LAST    INTERVIEW    OF    THE    LOVERS. 

WHEN  the  awakened  king  came  out  upon  the 
veranda  at  dawn  the  whole  household  were 
up  and  away  at  their  morning  tasks.  The  sun  was  just 
tinting  the  higher  snow  peaks  with  a  crown  of  glory. 
They  shimmered  and  shone  in  the  strong  Eastern  beam  ; 
springing  into  such  gigantic  eminence  from  out  the  dark 
green  girdle  of  intervening  forest  that  it  seemed  but  an 
hour's  ride  to  the  summits  high  above  the  cumlous 
clouds. 

Looking  about  the  grounds  the  king  discovered 
Wailele  in  the  distance,  fresh  from  her  bath  in  the  river, 
and  all  aglow  with  the  exercise.  She  was  feeding  her 
pet  birds  as  they  flocked  about  her  in  hundreds  from  the 
adjacent  trees.  Some  of  the  affectionate  creatures  were 
alight  upon  their  mistress'  head  and  shoulders,  and 
others,  crimson  as  the  ohia  flowers,  were  pecking  daintily 
at  food  in  her  extended  hand. 

Everywhere  about  the  grounds  the  orange  trees  were 
at  once  in  early  blossom  and  ripest  fruit,  and  mingled 
their  grateful  fragrance  with  delicious  perfumes  from  the 
white  flowers  of  the  wild  coffee  trees.  In  strongest  con- 
trast to  these  colorless  blossoms  grew  the  red  hibiscus 
here  and  there  among  the  fruit-bearing  trees,  their  boughs 
peopled  with  scarlet  birds  beautiful  as  the  blossoms,  but 
as  songless  as  the  crimson  flowers. 

70 


The  Water  Nymphs.  71 

As  the  chieftain  walked  across  the  enclosure  to  greet 
his  hostess,  he  saw  evidence  that  she  was  an  early  riser, 
for  her  long  black  hair  was  already  wreathed  with  a  fresh 
lei  of  gardenia,  and  her  graceful  neck  was  garlanded  with 
fresh-culled  flowers. 

As  they  came  back  toward  the  house  with  lingering 
footsteps  and  frequent  pauses,  a  keen  eye  could  readily 
discern  a  look  of  exultation  in  the  face  of  the  king, 
while  in  the  deep  eyes  of  Wailele  there  shown  a  lustrous, 
nameless  light,  which  has  as  yet  found  no  description  in 
all  the  legends  of  song. 

While  breakfast  was  being  prepared  the  king  strode  to 
the  river  for  his  morning  bath.  There  he  met  three  of 
the  priest-girls,  with  numerous  other  wahines  from  about 
Mukini,  all  wading  merrily  up  the  river  from  out  the 
dark  vista  of  the  forest.  Each  maiden  was  deftly  balan- 
cing on  her  garlanded  head  a  green-leaved  package  of 
tribute  /<?/,  or  pig,  baked  or  squealing,  together  with 
nursling  puppies  to  be  tabued  and  fattened  into  sacred 
ilio poll  and  consecrated  to  Pele.* 

The  whole  laughter-loving  crowd  of  happy  girls  had 
brought  their  burdens  from  the  Tribute  Rock  in  the 
river,  below  the  tabued  line  in  the  forest.  Nude  as  the 
flowers,  with  their  long  hair  trailing  on  the  water  like 
raven  wings  as  they  breasted  the  stream,  they  seemed 
more  like  wood  nymphs  or  naiads  than  song-loving 
maidens  of  Mukini. 

*  Pigs  (or  puppies)  were  made  sacred  by  taking  them  before  the 
great  idol  of  the  heidu,  pinching  the  ear  or  twisting  the  tail  to  elicit 
a  squeal,  while  the  Kahuna  addressed  the  god  in  the  name  of  the 
devotee  and  made  known  the  giver.  A  hole  was  then  made  in  the 
ear,  into  which  was  inserted  a  braid  of  cocoa-nut  fibre  ;  and  thence- 
forward the  animal  was  tabti  to  the  gods,  and  none  dare  molest  him. 
(Ellis'  "  Hawaii, "p.  59.) 


72  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

When  the  king  returned  from  his  ablutions  breakfast 
was  spread  for  him  in  the  temple  where  only  a  tabued 
chief  could  be  permitted  to  partake  of  food.  And 
though  the  chiefesses  of  the  Jieidu — being  also  alii  kapu — 
could  eat  there  during  the  sacrifices,  yet  even  they  dare 
not  now  break  the  death  tabil  by  eating  with  the  king, 
or  even  by  remaining  in  the  temple  while  any  man  was 
eating  there.  Thus  the  king's  meals  were  both  lonely 
and  hurried  for  lack  of  companionship.  When  he  again 
came  out  on  the  veranda  Wailele  was  alone  and  waiting 
his  coming.  She. had  previously  allotted  to  each  attend- 
ant her  duties  for  the  day,  as  the  king  was  to  leave  for 
Waipio  in  a  few  hours'  time. 

As  the  early  morning  view  of  the  falls  was  the  most 
enjoyed,  Wailele  invited  her  royal  guest  to  a  walk  up  the 
valley.  Together  they  sauntered  along  the  flowering 
river  bank  ;  and  soon  the  priestess  found  herself  alone 
with  nature  and  the  grand  old  king  upon  the  same  spot 
where,  but  a  day  before,  a  tigerish  gleam  of  defiance  had 
flashed  from  her  eyes  upon  one  who  had  tempted  a  ves- 
tal kahtina  with  love,  the  delicious  weakness  of  her  sex. 

Could  this  be  she  whose  angry  glances  had  been 
turned  upon  her  kingly  lover  because  he  had  won  her 
heart  to  such  a  lapse  of  human  frailty  as  that  of  love  ? 

Never  could  he  forget  the  withering  look  of  those 
magnificent  eyes.  They  were  so  sinister  and  savage  that 
even  he,  a  brave  old  warrior,  could  not  but  mentally  put 
himself  upon  the  defensive  when  confronting  such  a 
dangerous  mood  in  a  woman  of  her  physical  strength 
and  superhuman  courage. 

And  yet  this  priestly  despot  now  sits  pensive  and  pas- 
sive at  his  feet,  revelling  in  the  delicious  dalliance  of  his 
glances  and  the  manly  resonance  of  his  voice — a  voice 


Sympathetic  Nature.  73 

that  had  rung  its  bugle  notes  in  the  thick  of  many  a 
battle,  but  had  never  till  now  led  a  charge  so  perilous  as 
his  late  assault  of  love  upon  this  priestly  vestal's  heart. 
But  now,  as  the  regal  lover  reaches  out  to  take  Wailele's 
shapely  hand,  it  is  with  a  lover's  delicious  assurance  that 
what  he  asks  for  will  not  be  refused.  Their  eyes  meet 
as  the  king  possesses  himself  of  her  hand,  and  Wailele's 
grateful  glances  become  as  tender  as  moonlight  on  the 
sea.  Her  full  proud  lips  arch  like  Cupid's  bow ;  as 
roseate  in  color  as  the  young  ohia  leaves  seen  across  the 
stream. 

Above  their  heads,  from  bough  to  bough,  clambers  the 
blue  convolvulus,  whose  azure  tints  seem  caught  from 
the  blue  of  the  summer  sky.  Around  the  tree-trunks 
near  them  twine  the  sylph-like  running  ferns,  with  purple 
star-like  blossoms — the  gleichenia, — their  delicate  tendrils 
drooping  in  soft  clusters  above  them,  leaning  with  almost 
human  instinct  above  the  lovers'  heads  as  if  eager  to 
catch  the  cooing  words  of  two  enamoured  souls. 

Glinting  down  over  the  south  /#7/Vedge  the  ardent 
sun  was  just  dipping  his  yellow  plumage  into  the  foaming 
cataracts.  Darting  his  golden  lance-beams  everywhere 
among  the  cool  shadows  below,  he  illuminated  the  gray 
rocks  of  the  north pdli  as  with  a  flambeau  of  fire. 

With  the  sunlight  shining  so  directly  into  the  valley, 
the  charms  of  the  place  outnumber  its  gloom.  But  what- 
ever the  time  or  place  from  which  one  views  the  wonders 
of  Waimanu,  there  is  always  inconceivable  novelty  in  the 
situation.  Wherever  the  eye  may  wander,  the  solemn 
boom  of  the  falls  ever  assails  the  ear.  Every  foot  of 
floating  mist  about  the  cataracts  was  now  transfigured 
into  winged  bits  of  rainbow,  while  the  edges  of  the  plun- 
ging waters  were  all  aglow  with  the  rarest  colors  of  sunset. 


74  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

But  the  king  was  bent  upon  leaving  the  valley  while 
the  land-winds  blew,  and  before  the  trades  should  arouse 
the  surf  at  the  river  mouth  and  prevent  his  egress.  A 
canoe  was  already  in  waiting  to  take  him  down  the  river 
from  the  hetdu,  and  another,  strong  enough  for  sea  ser- 
vice, had  been  ordered.  In  this  the  wahims  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Priestess  would  take  the  royal  incognito  to  the 
uninhabited  valley  next  to  Waimanu,  and  thence  he  could 
easily  reach  his  own  place,  from  which  he  had  come  two 
days  before.  A  tabti  had  already  been  put  upon  the 
lower  valley  for  the  day,  which  would  ensure  perfect 
secrecy  in  the  passage  down  the  river. 

As  they  returned  hand  in  hand  along  the  margin  of  the 
river,  sensuous  nature  seemed  everywhere  patterning  for 
them  numerous  tasks  of  love.  The  ardent  sun  kissed  the 
water-falls,  and  laid  his  hot  cheek  with  delicious  languor 
upon  the  rippling  stream.  The  very  trees  upon  the  river 
bank  leaned  tenderly  over  the  limpid  water,  coquetting 
with  reflected  cloud  and  sunshine  alike  as  the  three  met 
in  dalliance  in  the  laughing  stream.  The  mating  birds 
sat  on  the  low  boughs  gossiping  about  the  sweet  ways  of 
human  love,  and  twittering  their  matin  pseans  as  the 
lovers  passed  along.  The  cool  wind  from  the  mountain 
snows,  all  unseen  by  the  watchful  king,  kissed  the  hot 
flush  from  the  Priestess'  cheek. 


X. 

WOOED  AND  WON,  AND  PARTED  FOREVER. 

AT  length  the  sense  of  their  approaching  parting  im- 
pressed the  lovers  as  they  neared  the  heidu,  and 
flung  a  shadow  over  them  until  their  heart-beats  met  in 
fond  confession  in  their  clasping  hands. 

There  is  a  touch  of  sadness  in  even  brief  partings  from 
those  whom  we  love.  These  lovers  were  about  to  part 
with  no  hope  of  meeting  again  this  side  the  grave.  Ah  ! 
who  can  tell  the  pang  of  tenderness  that  crept  over  their 
exalted  souls  ? 

They  had  met  and  lived  a  lifetime  of  emotions  in  a 
day ;  they  had  proved  their  strength  of  heart  in  their 
loving,  and  they  now  showed  their  strength  of  soul  in 
parting.  Part  they  must,  because  a  great  life-work  had 
been  allotted  to  each,  and  each  was  too  noble  to  wish  to 
entice  the  other  from  its  duties. 

The  king  was  not  willing  to  abdicate  his  kingdom  and 
become  the  High-Priest  of  Mukini.  Its  loved  mistress, 
Wailele,  was  strongly  wedded  to  the  hope  of  redeeming 
some  of  the  inhuman  savagery  of  her  tabti  creed.  And  yet 
this  vestal  Priestess  had  found  in  the  noble  old  monarch 
the  nearest  approach  to  a  kindred  soul  that  she  had  ever 
known.  But  strong  as  the  affections  of  such  great  hearts 
may  be,  they  are  also  capable  of  an  unselfish  purpose  in 
life  which  shall  immolate  love,  and  labor  for  toilsome 
years  to  accomplish  some  needed  good  for  their  kind. 

75 


76  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

No  wonder  that  such  emotional  hearts  as  these  lean 
more  tenderly  toward  each  other,  as  the  proffered  gift  of 
human  love  dawns  upon  them  in  the  hour  of  parting,  like 
the  vision  of  some  holy  Shechinah  in  the  sky  !  No  wonder 
that  a  yet  sweeter  cadence  steals  into  their  voice  as  hand 
clasps  hand  with  -poignant  emotion,  and  eyes  search  other 
eyes  with  but  one  crystal  window  between  two  souls. 

What  a  change  had  come  over  these  two  since  morn- 
ing !  When  they  wended  their  way  up  the  river  but  a 
few  hours  since,  one  lover  was  jubilant  of  his  conquest  of 
a  proud  woman's  heart.  The  other  proud  soul,  though 
she  had  been  invoked  by  the  gods  and  importuned  by  the 
noblest  of  men,  was  saddened  with  a  boding  fear  of  her 
too  willing  captivity.  Yet  there  is  a  maidenly  apprehen- 
sion in  all  young  hearts  after  their  first  confession  ;  as 
budding  flowers  grow  tremulous  and  deep-eyed  on  their 
day  of  blossoming. 

Who  has  not  learned  the  never-ceasing  lesson  of  life, 
that  our  best  joys  are  but  half  cherished  until  we  are 
about  to  lose  them  ?  Wailele  had  reluctantly  given  a 
brief  glimpse  of  her  heart  to  her  lover  when  first  he  came, 
and  then  had  snatched  it  away  in  petulant  mood,  as  too 
precious  a  gift  for  even  a  king.  Now  that  she  is  about 
to  lose  him,  her  poor  heart  seems  but  a  bauble  unworthy 
of  his  royal  acceptance.  For  love  had  now  exalted  the 
loved  one  ;  and  when  won,  he  seemed  the  noblest  and 
best  of  his  kind. 

They  approached  the  heidu  and  saw  the  canoe  made 
ready  to  carry  the  king  down  the  river.  Both  stopped  as 
by  one  consent,  wishing  to  part  without  witnesses,  as 
became  the  exalted  rank  of  each.  The  calmness  of  the 
king  was  but  the  quiet  of  the  cataract  on  the  brink  it 
must  part  from  forever.  The  last  moment  had  come, 


The  Kings  Souvenir.  77 

and  glowing  hearts  blended  in  loving  emotions  through 
every  sense,  as  the  sun  mingles  his  fiery  beams  with  the 
palpitant  waters  of  the  river. 

"Wailele,"  said  the  king,  his  sad  eyes  feasting  upon 
the  beautiful  face  before  him,  its  charms  enhanced  by 
the  flush  of  emotion,  "  I  came  to  Waimanu  knowing  little 
of  the  true  nobility  of  womanhood.  I  came  to  demand 
a  personal  oracle  and  to  propound  a  weighty  question  of 
state.  I  go,  leaving  my  heart  with  the  loved  Kahiina  of 
Mukini,  though  she  refuses  to  go  forth  as  my  queen." 

"  Dear  king,  you  will  not  love  me  less  for  my  refusal, 
for  my  decision  is  wise." 

"  Dear  Wahine  !  you  are  as  wise  as  you  are  beautiful. 
Your  lover  will  leave  you  his  war-spear — a  sovereign's 
token, — implying  that  his  warriors  shall  maintain  Wailele 
as  Kahiina  nut  over  the  temple  of  Mukini.  He  leaves 
you  his  lei,  and  niho palaoa  (whale's  tooth),  as  a  memento 
of  love,  the  most  priceless  insignia  in  his  kingdom.  None 
but  an  alii  kapu — tabu  chief — and  member  of  the  Ahu 
Alii  must  wear  it,  for  the  tabti  is  death."* 

"  Alii  moi  maikai! — Good  sovereign  chief  "  —  said 
Wailele,  bursting  into  sobs  and  tears,  while  the  king  con- 
tinued : 

"  And  whoever  brings  this  royal  spear  to  your  king 
with  the  password  *  Wailele  '  shall  return  to  your  de- 
fence with  an  army  before  the  sun  goes  down.  But  to 
him  who  brings  the  precious  niho,  with  the  password 
'  Umi,'  shall  be  given  the  best  gift  in  my  giving,  though 
he  demand  the  half  of  my  kingdom.  Conceal  these 
things  from  all  eyes.  Keep  them  as  a  souvenir  of  a  king's 
love  for  his  darling." 

*  Members  of  the  Council  of  Nobles  (Ahu  Alii)  are  entitled  to  cer- 
tain insignia,  tabued  to  all  others  of  less  rank. 


78  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

"  Kingly  man,  your  love  shines  into  Wailele's  heart. 
My  memory  will  treasure  the  passwords  sacredly.  Who- 
soever comes  from  Wailele  shall  bear  the  sweet  name  of 
*  Umi ' — the  ivory  souvenir  of  the  king, — and  the  tokens 
you  leave  at  Mukini  shall  be  embalmed  with  my  love 
and  guarded  with  my  life.  The  hiding  place  of  the 
tooth  shall  be  under  the  sacred  anu>  where  your  kaMna 
wahine  invokes  the  gods  she  adores,  and  prays  for  the 
king  she  loves." 

"  Aloha  !  Pele,  guard  the  life  of  my  darling.  Aloha, 
Wailele  !  thou  art  grand  as  the  mountain  above  thee,  and 
gentle  as  the  river  by  our  side.  To  have  known  you, 
dear  Wailele,  will  make  me  more  brave  in  the  hour  of 
battle,  and  more  humane  to  my  people  through  all  my 
life." 

And  the  chieftain  gave  into  the  hands  of  the  Priestess 
his  richly-carved  spear,  and  his  ivory  necklace,  the  rarest 
decoration  in  the  kingdom  over  which  he  ruled.  Hold- 
ing her  throbbing  hands,  he  eagerly  awaited  the  last  mes- 
sage from  his  darling,  which  she  could  not  yet  find  voice 
to  impart.  Her  lips  moved  as  for  speech,  but  her  tongue 
was  dumb.  Emotions  stirred  her  soul  as  with  a  tempest. 
At  length  she  found  voice,  but  hoarsely,  as  if  speaking 
from  her  tomb. 

"  Farewell,  dear  king — we  have  met  not  wholly  in 
vain.  You  have  taught  Wailele  that  the  love  of  a  noble 
man  for  woman  is  the  crowning  glory  of  her  life. 
You  have  wooed  me  for  your  queen  ;  do  not  hate  me 
because  I  refuse  to  wed.  Know,  Alii  rnoi,  that  your 
loving  Kahiina  is  wedded  to  a  greater  than  mortal — her 
holy  shrine.  Believe  that  woman's  adoration  for  the 
deity  that  prompts  her  to  prayer  is  a  greater  bridal  for  a 
pure  heart  than  wedded  love,  even  with  a  king." 


Aloha,  Forever.  79 

And  together  the  royal  pair  walked  hand  in  hand  down 
the  river  to  the  canoe,  in  which  the  old  king  seated  him- 
self, while  the  priest-girls  seized  their  paddles,  awaiting 
the  signal  to  go. 

"  Aloha,  queen  of  my  heart  !  " 

"Aloha,  dearest  and  best  of  men!  Farewell  to  the 
only  mortal  Wailele  has  learned  to  love.  Aloha,  forever 
and  forever  ! " 

And  the  weeping  Priestess  flung  the  king's  hand  from 
her  strong  grasp,  as  if  doubting  her  power  to  give  him 
up,  and  rudely  pushed  the  canoe  into  the  stream,  waiting 
with  compressed  lips  and  clenched  hands  to  see  the  loved 
one  depart,  though  her  young  heart  should  be  rent  by 
the  separation. 

The  king  refused  to  give  the  order  to  go  ;  the  eyes  of 
the  proud  chief  were  as  full  of  tears  as  were  his  dar- 
ling's. With  a  cry  of  bitter  anguish  he  appealed  to  her 
to  come  and  be  his  queen. 

The  proud  woman  waved  her  hand  for  him  to  go. 
Yet  again  and  again  he  called  to  her  to  come,  but  called 
in  vain.  Then  in  soft  tones  of  appeal,  such  as  only  a 
breaking  heart  could  utter,  he  pleaded  for  her  to  go  with 
him  as  far  as  the  tabii  line.  It  was  with  a  lingering  hope 
that  she  could  not  find  courage  to  leave  him  there. 

How  strong  is  the  power  of  one  noble  heart  over  an- 
other ;  how  resistless  the  sweet  influence  of  man  over 
the  woman  he  loves  !  Wailele,  the  proud  and  arrogant 
Priestess,  softened  to  the  appeals  of  love,  as  the  cold 
mist  of  the  morning  leaps  at  the  touch  of  the  sun. 

Springing  into  the  river  with  outstretched  arms  she 
swam  to  the  waiting  canoe,  her  long  black  hair  streaming 
behind  like  the  pinions  of  some  black  demon  who  had 
lent  her  his  wings  to  fly  away  from  her  heathen  shrine. 


8o  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

She  reached  the  canoe,  drawn  by  an  impulse  stronger 
than  the  cable-tow  of  a  frigate.  Stretching  her  hand  out 
of  the  stream  to  the  grasp  of  the  king,  she  bade  the 
wahines  paddle  swiftly  down  the  river.  But  she  reso- 
lutely refused  to  enter  the  boat. 

The  agile  wahines  plied  their  paddles  vigorously,  and 
the  canoe  soon  entered  the  deep  arcade  of  the  forest. 
Wailele  swam  easily  beside  the  canoe,  and  neither  king 
nor  Priestess  spoke  as  they  sped  down  the  river  toward 
the  Tribute  Rock. 

Tender  were  the  appealing  glances  in  the  old  king's 
eyes,  as  he  watched  every  movement  of  the  strong  and 
beautiful  swimmer.  Wailele  gazed  into  those  dear  per- 
suasive eyes,  and  her  heart  confessed  those  sweet  emo- 
tions that  transcend  all  other  joys  in  life. 

What  passed  in  Wailele's  mind  during  that  half  hour 
in  the  river,  she  never  told  ;  so  we  can  never  know. 
But  at  times,  as  she  swam  there  beside  the  canoe,  her 
answering  glances  became  irresolute  and  yielding,  as  if 
she  were  charmed  to  the  very  verge  of  willing  captivity. 
It  was  the  stage  of  sweet  abandonment  that  all  women 
love  to  indulge  toward  one  noble  heart. 

The  canoe  neared  Tribute  Rock.  The  monarch's 
hand  clasped  hers  more  firmly,  and  his  fond  eye  dwelt 
upon  her  with  a  delicious  hope  of  detaining  her.  Wai- 
lele's mobile  face  grew  strong  and  resolute  again.  But 
the  eyes  lost  their  tenderness,  and  a  touch  of  the  old 
imperiousness  came  into  them  at  the  thought  that  the 
king  might  possibly  attempt  coercion.  But  that  passed 
in  an  instant.  Perhaps  it  was  but  the  shadow  of  a  cloud 
passing  across  the  sun,  for  the  next  emotion  depicted  on 
the  maiden's  face,  as  they  drew  still  nearer  to  the  rock, 
was  a  look  of  supplication  that  this  dear  man's  love 
should  not  wholly  forsake  her. 


Waittles  Strong  Agony.  8 1 

There  comes  a  touching  look  into  the  eyes  of  woman 
when  thus  aroused  by  the  strong  agony  of  grief  or  love, 
an  eloquence  before  which  the  tongue  of  man  grows 
dumb.  It  was  an  expression  so  agonizing,  an  attitude 
of  such  unspeakable  sorrow,  that  the  chieftain  half 
relaxed  his  grasp  of  her  hand,  while  an  appealing  wish 
welled  into  his  eyes,  that  spoke  his  desire  to  clasp  the 
dear  one  to  his  bosom,  ere  they  should  part  so  cruelly. 

Brief  and  beautiful  was  the  moment's  response  which 
lit  up  the  glowing  face  of  Wailele  as  she  interpreted  the 
king's  wish.  Then  a  deathly  pallor  usurped  the  color 
on  lips  and  cheeks  and  brow,  and  the  tender  love-look 
in  her  eyes  was  displaced  by  an  expression  in  which 
culminated  all  the  agonies  that  the  heart  can  bear. 

Suddenly,  and  with  a  strength  almost  superhuman, 
Wailele  tore  her  hand  from  the  grasp  of  her  lover  and 
plunged  beneath  the  surface,  that  she  might  not  hear  his 
appeals.  Then,  with  long,  strong  strokes,  she  swam  up 
the  river  under  water. 

She  turned  a  little  tree-clad  point  on  the  north  shore 
of  the  stream  before  coming  to  the  surface.  Then 
Wailele  rose  and  turned  to  look  back  down  the  river. 
The  canoe  was  out  of  sight  !  Then  indeed  she  real- 
ized that  her  separation  was  complete  ;  that  the  king  and 
his  dearly-loved  Kahiina  were  parted  forever. 

Climbing  to  the  river-bank  and  seating  herself  in  the 
kindred  gloom  of  the  forest,  Wailele  gave  way  to  the  first 
great  grief  of  her  life.  Only  by  articulate  wails  and  a 
deluge  of  tears  can  a  strong  woman  drain  the  depths  of 
such  a  sorrow  as  this. 

What  the  sun  is  to  bud  and  blossom  and  the  ripening 
of  the  fruit  in  the  floral  world,  love  is  to  woman.  With- 
out it  she  pines  like  a  plant  in  the  desert.  Fill  her  soul — 


82  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

if  only  for  an  hour — with  its  brightness,  and  she  is 
crowned  with  beauty  and  glory  as  when  a  star  is  born  in 
the  sky.  Rob  her,  when  once  it  has  been  tasted,  of  this 
enchanted  cup,  and  she  quaffs  instead  the  bitterest 
chalice  in  the  whole  domain  of  sorrow. 

Burying  his  head  in  dejection,  the  sorrowing  king  bade 
the  wahines  speed  on  down  the  river.  He  sat  in  the 
stern  of  the  canoe  with  his  tapa  covering  drawn  over  his 
grief-stricken  face,  his  massive  hands  clenched  in  the 
visible  agony  of  a  strong  man  who  has  lost  his  all. 

Not  a  boat  was  seen  on  the  usually  busy  river  ;  not  a 
human  soul  of  all  the  ten  thousand  people  living  in  the 
valley.  The  grassy  banks  and  flowery  nooks  of  the 
pleasant  river  were  deserted.  A  tabu  had  been  pro- 
claimed from  Mukini  for  the  day,  by  the  display  of  the 
tabu  flag  from  the  highest  tree  in  the  forest,  and  it  needed 
but  a  brief  half  hour  to  make  the  land  a  desert. 

When  the  kapu  e  make  was  announced  in  the  morning, 
while  the  king's  canoe  was  made  ready  for  his  departure, 
the  first  native  who  saw  the  flag  from  the  lower  valley 
gave  the  alarm,  crying  lustily  to  all  within  his  hearing  : 
"  Kapu  e  make  !  kapu  e  make  J" 

In  an  instant  the  sorrowing  wail  was  taken  up  by  a 
thousand  voices,  bearing  the  fearful  knell  over  the  whole 
valley  in  a  few  minutes'  time.  Whoever  was  laboring  in 
his  taro  patch,  or  fishing  or  bathing  in  the  river,  hurried 
home  to  his  thatched  house,  there  to  hide  throughout  the 
day  ;  not  knowing,  nor  likely  ever  to  know,  why  the  tabu 
had  been  promulgated. 

Boys  who  had  climbed  a  hundred  feet  up  the  swaying 
mast  of  the  palm-tree,  and  who  were  twisting  off  cocoa- 
nuts  for  the  coming  meal,  left  their  task  half  finished, 
slid  down  with  precipitate  haste  to  the  ground,  and  fled 


The  Universal  Horror.  83 

homeward,  full  of  wildest  apprehension  of  the  deadly 
tabii  cry. 

Girls  swimming  in  flocks  along  the  flowing  river  bank, 
sporting  with  one  another  in  the  crystal  waters,  or  diving 
for  objects  among  the  fine  dark  sands  of  the  bottom, 
heard  the  death-cry  sweeping  down  the  valley,  and  looked 
aghast  into  each  other's  faces.  Darting  through  the 
water  for  the  shore,  they  seized  their paus  from  the  bank, 
and  ran  to  their  homes  undressed.  Some  ghostly  mon- 
ster, born  of  their  own  superstitious  terrors  and  the  tabti 
cry,  pursues  their  lovely  nude  figures  to  their  very 
doorways. 

Fishermen  out  upon  the  sea,  tanning  their  brown  skins 
in  the  sun  while  they  patiently  watch  their  lines  sound 
the  tranquil  waters  below,  caught  the  anguished  tabii 
cry,  or  saw  the  dread  flag  fluttering  in  the  land-wind  from 
the  cliff.  Instantly  they  cut  adrift  from  their  much- 
prized  lines,  and  paddled  with  desperation  for  the  shore  ; 
some,  still  more  terror-stricken,  paddled  far  out  to  sea, 
fearing  that  they  were  personally  wanted  by  the  Pepehi 
Kanaka  to  take  part  as  corpses  in  the  cruel  sacrifices  of 
the  day. 

What  many  of  these  sudden  taJnis  are  for,  none  but 
the  few  connected  with  the  neighboring  heidu  ever  know, 
or  can  ever  guess,  for  the  solemn  behests  of  a  priest  are 
as  well  kept  as  the  secrets  of  the  grave. 

Not  even  a  dog  or  a  stray  hog  was  discovered  while 
the  king  was  being  paddled  three  miles  down  the  river. 
A  funereal  hush  lay  over  the  sequestered  valley.  Even 
the  sun  shrouded  himself  with  unusual  frequency  behind 
the  clouds  that  floated  landward  upon  the  soft  trade- 
wind  ;  and  the  birds  sang  mournful  strains  from  out 
their  secret  coverts,  as  if  it  were  the  sepulture  of  some 
mighty  dead. 


84  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

The  river  canoe  was  too  frail  to  encounter  the  huge 
surf  ever  rolling  upon  the  shore.  But  ample  provision 
had  been  made  for  the  occasion.  A  strong  double 
canoe  awaited  the  king's  coming  ;  it  was  secured  to  the 
river  bank  near  the  high  intervening  ridge  of  boulders 
above  the  beach. 

In  this  stout  sea-going  craft  the  king  took  his  seat, 
followed  by  the  four  priest-girls,  who  carefully  avoided 
treading  upon  the  monarch's  shadow, — an  offence  which 
is  death  if  he  choose  to  make  good  the  tabii.  At  a  mo- 
tion from  the  king  the  canoes  were  pushed  out  from  the 
bank  and  down  the  river  mouth,  where  they  met  the 
inrolling  sea. 

As  they  came  into  the  spent  waters  of  the  gigantic 
breakers,  here  floundering  noisily  on  the  shore,  the  real 
peril  of  the  attempt  to  pass  out  aroused  the  old  monarch 
from  his  grief  sufficiently  for  him  to  view  the  situation. 
He  was  familiar  with  surf  from  his  boyhood.  But 
through  such  a  surf  as  this,  thundering  upon  jagged 
rocks,  he  had  never  sought  to  pass  before.  The  king 
seized  upon  a  strong  steering-paddle,  and  nerved  him- 
self to  act  as  pilot  during  the  dangerous  passage  to  the 
sea. 

By  a  few  backward  strokes  of  their  paddles  the  four  fear- 
less wahines  held  the  canoe  in  the  harmless  wash  of  the  surf, 
and  watched  patiently  until  three  of  the  largest  succes- 
sive breakers  had  rolled  in  with  the  shock  of  an  earth- 
quake, their  angry  roar  echoing  from  cliff  to  cliff.  Then, 
as  the  third  breaker  thundered  on  the  beach,  ere  the 
stranded  foam-bubbles  had  burst,  the  brave  maidens 
bent  to  their  task  with  a  stern  resolve  mantling  over  their 
lovely  faces,  like  those  who  appreciate  the  peril,  but  fear 
not  the  danger. 


Dash  through  the  Surf.  85 

Steady  and  strong  was  the  even  dip  of  their  four 
paddle  blades.  Such  a  triumph  of  quivering  nerve  and 
muscle  could  not  but  bring  a  smile  of  approval  to  the  sad 
face  of  the  king.  He  looked  kindly  upon  the  comely 
priest-girls  ;  they  were  the  last  links  between  him  and 
Wailele. 

Dashing  up  over  the  inrolling  breakers  with  quick, 
strong  paddle  strokes,  the  canoe  sometimes  pointing  to 
the  sun,  sometimes  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  they 
weathered  one  after  another  of  the  great  rollers.  In- 
creasing the  strength  of  their  strokes,  now  to  port  and 
now  to  starboard,  as  rocks  barred  their  way,  at  length 
they  gained  the  open  sea,  and  headed  south  for  a  ravine 
five  miles  away. 

The  change  from  the  deep  cool  valley  to  open  water 
was  marked  and  uncomfortable.  There  was  a  hot  metal- 
lic glint  on  the  calm  surface  of  the  sea,  for  though  the 
land-breeze  blew  too  lazily  to  invade  the  ocean  far  out 
from  shore,  yet  the  trade-wind  had  not  yet  asserted  its 
daily  power.  At  the  end  of  a  brief  pull  the  king  was 
landed  in  a  neighboring  valley,  and  after  a  brief  exchange 
of  kind  farewells,  the  tired  wahines  put  up  their  sail,  and 
sped  back  to  Waimanu  without  mishap. 


XI. 

UMI,    THE    GOD-BORN    CHIEF. 

NEARLY  a  year  had  passed  since  the  mysterious 
visit  of  the  royal  chief  to  Mukini.  Ten  happy 
months  had  sped  over  the  devoted  priestess  and  her 
pious  household,  ever  busy  with  her  religious  duties  at 
the  altar  of  sacrifice,  or  within  her  shrine  of  prayer. 

The  day  had  been  passed  in  observing  the  annual  re- 
ligious feast,  that  of  the  Makahiki,  and  the  usual  tabii  rites 
of  the  new-year's  day.  The  sun  was  now  dropping  down 
the  west,  and  would  soon  be  hidden  behind  the  snow 
crest  of  Mauna  Kea.  Most  of  the  Waimanu  people  had 
already  dispersed  down  the  river  in  canoes,  or  waded  in 
gossiping  groups  to  their  homes  beyond  the  tabued 
forest,  gladdened  by  the  joyous  events  of  the  day  at 
Mukini. 

A  few  privileged  families  of  the  great  chiefs  of  the 
valley,  those  of  sufficient  rank  to  witness  the  final  re- 
ligious rites  within  the  temple,  had  remained  at  the 
request  of  Wailele,  and  were  collected  on  the  divans  of 
mats  about  the  altar. 

The  final  sacrifice  of  the  kapu  hua  was  about  to  take 
place.  It  consisted  of  offerings  of  the  first  fruits  and  first 
flowers  of  the  new-born  year,  which  were  now  clustered 
tastefully  upon  the  lele  (altar),  around  which  the  six  rosy 
priest-girls  marched,  themselves  adorned  with  floral  leis 
and  garlands  of  vines.  Circling  about  the  leley  they  sang 

86 


The  God-Born  Chief.  87 

thanksgivings  for  the  happy  past  and  songs  of  greeting 
to  the  new  year,  ending  with  hopeful  predictions  for  the 
future. 

Wailele,  after  giving  her  directions  to  the  maidens,  had 
retired  into  the  anu,  or  shrine,  there  to  plead  with  gentle 
Lono,  the  god  of  peace  and  plenty,  fruit  and  flowers. 
Though  in  this  enclosure  of  fine  basket-work  she  was 
quite  invisible,  yet  her  supplications  and  her  songs  were 
distinctly  heard  by  those  without  ;  her  clear  voice  was  in 
sweet  accord  with  every  melody  sung  by  her  maiden- 
satellites.  Each  one  of  them  had  been  chosen,  not  only 
for  her  high  rank,  but  for  the  rare  melody  of  her  voice. 

But  now,  while  the  six  wahines  were  singing  the  last 
vesper-melody  of  the  day,  chanting  soft  and  low,  as  if 
the  heart  of  each  pious  maiden  were  breathing  her  own 
requiem  with  that  of  the  dead  old  year,  suddenly  a  small 
new  voice  joined  in  the  solemn  chorus.  To  the  astonish- 
ment of  all,  it  came  from  within  the  shrine  of  prayer, 
making  a  novel  discord  with  the  sacred  chant  without. 

It  was  the  cry  of  an  infant,  new-born  with  the  year ! 
Still  the  voice  of  the  priestess  faltered  not  in  a  single 
note;  she  sang  as  if  she  were  unaware  of  the  precious  gift 
bestowed  upon  her  by  the  gods,  the  divine  gift  from  Pele 
to  the  beautiful  Priestess  of  Mukini ! 

Surprise  and  astonishment  mantled  on  the  faces  of  the 
grim  old  chiefs  and  their  dumpy  dames.  Wonder  and 
fear  seized  upon  the  priest-girls,  until  every  voice  broke, 
wandered,  and  ceased  entirely,  as  they  stared  at  one 
another  in  apprehension  and  amazement.  And  the  sud- 
den, soft  baby  cry  again  piped  up  distinctly  within  the 
holy  of  holies. 

It  was  as  if  a  Peri  from  heaven  had  found  its  way  to 
their  temple,  and  now  essayed  to  take  part  in  their 


Kamthame'ha  the  Great. 

worship.  So  had  some  of  the  huge  idols  on  the  walls  of 
the  heidu,  when  prompted  by  the  gods,  opened  their 
wooden  mouths  in  vocal  gesticulations,  as  if  they  too 
were  appealing  to  the  people.* 

Rebuked  by  Wailele's  unfaltering  continuation  of  her 
chant,  and  in  fear  of  the  displeasure  of  their  haughty 
Priestess  in  any  thing  pertaining  to  their  religious 
duties,  one  by  one  the  six  abashed  young  girls  again 
dropped  into  song  ;  but  with  wide  open  eyes,  and  ears 
alert  for  some  possible  evidence  of  Pele's  supernatural 
apparition  among  them,  as  she  had  often  come  to  their 
mistress  in  times  of  prayer. 

When  the  songs  and  tabu  rites  were  ended,  one  after 
another  of  the  grim  old  chiefs  and  their  dames  rose  from 
their  seats  and  gathered  about  the  central  altar,  each  face 
full  of  pantomimic  dismay.  What  meant  the  voice  of 
the  god-born  child  thus  joining  in  the  chorus  of  the 
altar  songs  ? 

But  when  their  last  note  had  died  on  the  air,  and 
every  eye  was  turned  upon  the  anu  full  of  expectation 
of  something  supernatural,  Wailele  flung  wide  the  lattice 
door  of  her  sacred  shrine,  and  stepped  proudly  forth  to 
confront  the  hundred  questioning  eyes. 

The  beautiful  face  of  the  vestal  was  lighted  up  with  a 
glory  only  known  to  a  young  mother  in  the  first  hour  of 
exultation  over  her  new-born  joy.  Walking  to  the  altar, 
bearing  the  child  proudly  in  her  arms,  Wailele  placed 
her  baby  boy  tenderly  among  the  flowers.  There  all 
eyes  could  behold  him,  and  become  witness  to  his  par- 
entage on  the  mother's  side,  from  which  Hawaiian 
heredity  acquires  its  strongest  claim,  whether  in  the 

*  It  was  a  not  uncommon  trick  of  the  priests  to  open  and  shut  the 
mouths  of  idols  while  some  apt  ventriloquist  did  the  talking. 


Baby's  Birth-Bath.  89 

inheritance  of  rank  or  of  property.  Solemnly  uttering 
her  wandna  (prophecy),  she  sprinkled  wai  oha  (holy 
water)  on  herself  and  her  child,  a  baptismal  rite.* 

Dropping  upon  her  knees  in  earnest  prayer,  the  happy 
Priestess  called  aloud  upon  Pele  with  a  young  mother's 
full  heart,  in  solemn  thanksgiving  and  praise.  While 
proffering  her  god-born  boy  as  an  alii  kapu,  she  dedi- 
cated him  to  Pele,  as  one  given  her  for  the  regeneration 
of  his  priest-ridden  and  war-worn  country. 

Completing  this  first  religious  rite  by  dedicating  her 
child  as  a  chief  tabued  to  his  country's  shrine,  Wailele 
rose  and  took  her  rosy  babe  in  arms  and  walked  swiftly 
to  the  river,  into  which  she  plunged,  joyous  as  a  dolphin 
long  deprived  of  its  element.  Tossing  her  new-born 
darling  into  the  water  for  his  first  lesson  in  aquatics,  the 
happy  mother  frolicked  about  her  child,  playful  as  a 
mother  fish  among  her  brood. 

The  stoical  indifference  of  a  Hawaiian  infant  to  its 
customary  birth-bath — though  the  aqueous  element 
chance  to  be  the  briny  sea — is  no  more  wonderful  than 
the  merry  mood  and  painless  maternity  of  the  Polynesian 
mother  during  the  parturient  hour. 

Following  the  example  of  the  glorified  Priestess,  after 
the  usual  custom  of  the  country,  a  hundred  other  sportive 
swimmers  were  soon  seen  disporting  in  the  river.  Fat 
chiefs  and  rosy  chiefesses,  together  with  young  men  and 
maidens  belonging  to  the  great  families,  dipped  and  dove 
and  swam  about  the  juvenile  centre  of  attraction. 

All  were  eager  to  witness  the  preternatural  feats  of  the 

*  During  these  pious  rites  the  Hindu  laves  with  sacred  waters  from 
the  Ganges.  The  Hebraic  laver  was  the  holy  water  of  India, — 
compounded  of  we  know  not  what.  The  Hawaiian  wai  oha  or  holy 
water  was  simply  consecrated  sea-water  (or  salt  and  sulphur  mixed 
with  fresh  water),  and  sanctified  by  prayer. 


90  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

god-born  child,  who,  though  left  to  squirm  and  sink 
down  upon  the  soft  dark  sands  of  the  bottom,  as  a  falling 
leaf  sways  and  dips  and  flutters  to  the  ground,  was  yet 
fearless  and  alert  to  clutch  the  long  black  hair  of  his 
sportive  mother,  and  pull  himself  up  to  the  surface  as 
she  swam  upwards  in  playing  with  her  darling, — as  a 
new-born  babe  is  as  much  at  home  under  water  as  in  the 
air.* 

To  the  pertinent  questions  of  the  feminine  gossips  as 
to  who  conferred  this  charming  gift  upon  the  virgin 
mother — for  alas,  even  Kanaka  wahines  can  scent  a 
delicious  morsel  of  scandal, — Wailele's  ready  answer  was 
merry  and  wise  : 

"  Pele,  the  goddess  whom  we  adore  !  She  is  both 
godmother  and  godfather  to  my  child." 

And  from  this  response  the  diligent  gossips  derived 
their  various  cues.  While  the  affectionate  priest-girls 
were  among  the  foremost  to  believe  that  Umi  was  a  god- 
gift  from  Pele,  having  frequently  heard  the  supplications 
of  their  loved  young  mistress,  praying  that  a  god-born 
chief  might  be  given  to  her  country,  one  having  the 
goodness  and  power  to  give  peace  to  Hawaii  Nei  in  her 
hour  of  need,  thus  the  wahines  spoke  as  of  their  own 
knowledge. 

As  the  sun's  latest  beams  were  now  glinting  upon  the 
south  pdli,  and  pressing  his  farewell  kiss  on  the  upper 
arc  of  the  cataracts,  the  chief  people  came  to  the  river 
bank  and  rubbed  noses  with  Wailele,  blessed  her  child, 
and  took  their  canoes  and  sped  homeward  down  the 

*  As  long,  that  is  to  say,  as  the  foramen  ovale  in  the  infant's  heart 
remains  unclosed, — the  orifice  through  which  the  prenatal  circulation 
passes  without  use  of  the  lungs — a  babe  may  dispense  with  pulmonary 
circulation  for  a  time  after  birth. 


The  New -Born  Hero.  91 

river.  And  what  a  stirring  message  was  that  which  they 
carried  forth  to  the  outer  world  !  Umi,  the  baby  chief, — 
a  god-born  child, — had  been  given  to  the  beautiful 
Kahilna  of  Mukini :  and  because  he  was  god-born,  he 
was  entitled  to  go  nude  through  life,  thus  outranking 
every  alii  kapu  throughout  the  valley  of  Waimanu. 

During  the  following  days  thousands  of  eager  visitors 
came  to  pay  homage  to  Umi.  All  among  the  ten  thou- 
sand in  the  valley  who  were  privileged  to  pass  the  tabued 
line  in  the  river  blessed  the  beautiful  boy,  and  heaped 
the  Tribute  Rock  with  willing  gifts  for  the  mother  of  the 
new-born  hero,  of  whom  so  much  was  expected  in  the 
coming  years. 

Not  all  born  of  woman  in  other  lands  have  found  even 
one  tender  bosom  to  nurture  them  in  the  helpless  days 
of  infancy,  in  these  vicious  days  of  artificial  foods.  But  it 
was  this  infant's  happy  lot  to  have  bounteous  auxiliaries 
in  the  nursery.  The  six  vestals  loved  the  pretty  nurs- 
ling devotedly  ;  and  in  the  intervals  of  their  duty  toward 
the  sacred  young  dogs,  they  vied  with  each  other  in 
caring  for  Umi,  their  future  master.  So  the  royal  urchin 
was  fed  by  the  seven,  played  with  the  puppies,  and  daily 
swam  with  dogs  and  wahines  in  the  river  ;  and  grew,  in 
short,  as  never  child  had  grown  before  in  the  kindly  vale 
of  Waimanu. 

The  fame  of  the  chief-boy's  birth  went  out  over  the 
land,  and  but  for  the  remote  seclusion  of  the  valley, 
countless  numbers  would  have  brought  tribute  to  Mukini 
for  the  godson  of  Pele.  Every  priest  in  the  islands 
made  frequent  reference  to  this  wondrous  event,  this 
divine  mystery,  glorifying  the  dread  goddess  of  Kilauea. 

The  birth  of  Umi  is  the  only  modern  exemplification 
of  Pele's  power  in  the  divine  conception  of  god-men.  In 


92  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

the  long-gone  days,  sung  of  in  the  ancient  meles,  this  had 
happened.  One  instance  occurred  when  Kane  and 
Kanaloa,  two  ancient  deities,  made  the  first  man  of  hot 
lava.  When  the  lava  cooled  it  was  but  a  stone-man. 
But  Pele  breathed  her  spirit  into  the  stone,  the  stone  be- 
came flesh,  the  flesh  breathed,  and  a  living  man  took 
possession  of  the  earth. 

This  man  was  named  Wakea.  And  because  Wakea 
looked  so  godlike,  and  the  human  in  him  was  so  tempt- 
ing, Papa,  a  beautiful  goddess,  sought  him  out  to  enjoy 
his  human  love.  She  became  his  wife,  and  helped  to 
people  Hawaii  according  to  the  commands  of  Pele. 

At  infrequent  times  during  the  early  summer  mornings 
in  the  coming  years,  ere  the  gray  mists  rose  above  the 
river,  or  the  ghost-haunted  shadows  fled  from  the  ap- 
proach of  day,  the  figure  of  a  solitary  man  was  sometimes 
seen  on  the  verge  of  the  pdli  above  Mukini.  It  needed 
but  a  glance  to  see  that  he  was  a  noble  chief,  standing 
there  reverently  in  the  gray  dawn  ;  and  always  by  the 
great  pandanus  tree,  where  he  had  once  risked  his  life. 

The  chief  carried  a  spear,  on  which  he  leaned  as  on 
the  first  morning  we  saw  him.  He  looked  like  one  medi- 
tating another  perilous  descent  into  Waimanu.  But  a 
danger  so  terrible  never  wholly  quits  the  memory  ;  once 
tried  it  begets  a  strength  of  wisdom  that  surmounts  even 
the  love  of  a  beautiful  woman,  or  a  father's  yearning 
affection  for  his  unseen  child. 

The  great  heart  of  Wailele  beat  wildly  as  she  looked 
up  from  her  morning  prayers,  and  saw  the  loved  figure 
of  the  royal  chief,  who  had  won  her  young  heart  by  his 
manly  bearing  and  his  dear  persuasive  smiles. 

No  wonder  that  she  sometimes  prays  to  the  pandanus, 
having  included  it  among  her  gods,  as  it  ever  stands 


Watching  for  his  Child.  93 

there  before  her  eyes  during  her  morning  orisons  to 
Pele.*  That  tree  had  felt  his  loved  hand  pressed  upon 
its  gnarled  side, — the  kingly  hand  that  had  stroked  her 
own  dark  hair,  and  patted  the  rose  on  her  cheek  until  it 
flushed  as  it  had  never  flushed  before. 

Yet,  when  all  unexpectedly  she  catches  a  sudden  half 
glimpse  of  the  dear  form  on  the/d//,  growing  clearer  and 
clearer  with  the  morning  light,  ah,  how  leaps  the  warm 
heart  in  her  bosom  !  How  yearns  her  soul  for  wings  to 
fly  to  him,  that  she  may  clasp  him  to  her  heart — woman's 
one  dear  solace  for  a  thousand  ills  ! 

What,  then,  to  her  were  all  the  ambitions  of  priesthood 
to  one  loving  moment  with  yon  man  in  the  heavens 
above  ?  He  stood  there  like  a  god,  rimmed  about  by 
the  yellow  dawn-light.  How  she  would  illumine  his 
whole  being  with  her  wild  love,  could  she  but  hold  him 
to  her  heart  now  beating  so  wildly  ! 

When  Wailele  sees  she  has  attracted  the  attention  of 
her  lover,  then  she  catches  up  her  baby,  Umi,  and  holds 
him  aloft  to  view.  And  only  she  can  know  who  it  is 
that  looks  down  so  lovingly  upon  mother  and  child  ; 
holding  out  his  arms  with  a  very  frenzy  of  affection  for 
the  noble  woman  and  the  darling  boy.  Waving  his 
great  war-spear  in  farewell  salutation,  as  day  breaks  in 
the  upper  world,  the  chief  makes  the  royal  sign  of  "  Kulia 
i  Ka  Nuu"  as  he  turns  sadly  away, — the  secret  pass- 
words known  only  to  high-caste  priests  and  to  the  reign- 
ing kings,  members  of  the  Ahu  Alii.  \ 

Even  with  her  undying  love  for  the  noble  monarch, 
Wailele  does  not  chide  him  for  not  coming  again  to  Mu- 

*  The  Hawaiians  made  a  god  of  any  object  which  attracted  them,— 
bird,  beast,  or  tree. 

f  The  Council  of  Nobles  created  by  Paao  centuries  before. 


94  Kamthamdha  the  Great. 

kini,  and  disturbing  her  sacred  duties  of  priesthood  with 
his  sweet  human  love.  And  yet  none  better  than  she 
knows  the  untold  value  of  such  an  affection. 

Dear  soul  !  how  little  it  matters  what  the  daily  task 
may  be,  if  the  one  sweet  avocation  of  love  is  denied  her. 
Whether  the  vassalage  of  women  is  to  holy  church  or 
intriguing  state,  debar  her  of  love — the  alchemic  element 
of  her  existence — and  the  heart  corrodes  and  the  soul 
dwindles  into  insignificance,  deprived  of  its  power  to 
soar  in  search  of  the  immortal. 


XII. 

BOYHOOD  DAYS  OF  KAM^HAM^HA. 

WHEN  attained  to  his  fifth  year,  Umi  had  ac- 
quired the  stature  of  a  boy  of  ten  ;  and  was 
strong  enough  to  wrestle,  paddle,  and  swim  with  his  girl 
companions  for  competitors.  But  in  his  eighth  year  he 
rightly  demanded  companionship  with  the  chief-boys  of 
the  lower  valley  ;  and  a  few,  of  noble  birth,  brothers  of 
the  priest-girls,  were  occasionally  permitted  to  come  to 
Mukini.  Of  these  well-trained  boys  Umi  learned  his  first 
feats  with  warlike  weapons  ;  together  with,  all  the  manly 
sports  needed  to  develop  his  strength  and  mature  his 
mind. 

Not  until  the  age  of  eight  did  Umi  meet  his  uncle,  the 
High-Priest  of  Puukeekee.  This  kahtina  was  called  in  at 
that  time  to  preside  over  the  Mahele  of  Umi,  a  religious 
rite  similar  to  the  Hebrew  custom,  but  usually  performed 
upon  Polynesian  youth  of  adolescent  years.  It  was  an 
occasion  for  feasting  and  all  kinds  of  athletic  games  for 
the  young  chiefs,  with  dancing  and  singing  for  the  chief- 
esses.  The  next  event  in  boy-life  was  the  tattooing  ;  and 
this  was  a  more  painful  piece  of  surgery  than  the 
Mahele* 

Umi  had  heard  terrible  things  of  his  cruel  old  uncle  of 

*  Kahekili,  King  of  Maui,  sent  requesting  that  the  child  should  be 
tattooed  over  half  his  body,  after  his  own  example. 

95 


g6  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

Puukeekee.  He  was  a  savage  old  kahtina,  addicted  to 
drinking  awa,  and  gloating  over  frequent  human  sacri- 
fices upon  the  most  trivial  occasions.  Pepehi,  "  man- 
killer,"  Avas  his  dreadful  name,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  he 
was  the  most  murderous  tabu  kahuna  in  all  the  land. 

Wailele  had  schooled  her  boy  about  his  uncle.  She 
had  taught  Umi  to  show  respect  to  him,  whatever  his 
dislike  might  be  for  the  wicked  man,  for  to  offend  him 
seriously  would  be  followed  by  a  dreadful  vengeance 
which  no  human  being  could  escape. 

The  old  priest  was  a  kilo-kilo,  or  sorcerer,  as  well  as  a 
kahuna,  and  would  pray  his  enemies  to  death  by  fiendish 
devices  of  witchcraft  too  foul  and  terrible  to  be  de- 
scribed. But  oftener  it  was  his  policy  to  set  his  pepehi 
— man-killer — to  waylay  and  assault  or  kidnap  the  of- 
fending person  ;  and  when  brought  to  the  mountain 
heiau,  Pepehi  would  glut  his  ferocity  by  himself  slaughter- 
ing the  delinquent  in  the  name  of  the  gods  of  his 
temple. 

So  wholly  unscrupulous  was  this  savage  old  man,  that 
the  kahuna  of  Puukeekee  was  quoted  by  Hawaiian 
mothers  to  their  rebellious  children,  as  wolves  and  bears 
are  threatened  in  other  lands.  Even  the  king  and  his  great 
chiefs  dare  not  confront  Pepehi  openly,  lest  he  should 
pray  to  his  great  poison  god,  Kalaipahoa,  when  they 
would  immediately  sicken  and  die. 

This  poison  god,  a  huge  idol,  three  times  as  large  as 
life,  was  made  from  a  fatal  upas  tree  called  Nioi,  that 
was  once  found  on  the  island  of  Molokai,  and  nowhere 
else.  It  was  so  deadly  that  a  little  dust  scraped  from 
the  idol  and  put  in  food  or  drink  would  kill  instantly. 
The  story  of  this  dreadful  idol  is  thus  told  by  Pepehi : — 
"  Failing  to  find  out  who  had  procured  the  sickness  of 


Pepehis  Poison  God.  97 

several  great  chiefs  by  using  the  '  shaking  waters '  and 
the  '  broiling  fire,'  I  dreamed  one  night  that  an  idol  made 
from  the  poison  tree  of  Molokai  would  always  disclose 
the  wicked  person  ;  and  when  he  was  found  would  serve 
to  destroy  him  by  means  of  a  little  of  its  dust  put  into 
his  food. 

"  The  god  in  the  dream  said  :  '  Go  and  find  the  tree 
on  Molokai.'  And  when  I  did  go,  and  found  the  tree, 
the  tree  spoke  to  me  in  a  frightful  voice,  saying  :  'Priest, 
bring  offerings  and  worship  me.  Make  a  great  idol 
of  me,  large  as  two  giants.  Place  me  in  Puukeekee, 
within  the  holy  place,  and  make  offering  of  ten  men  to 
me  ;  and  let  them  be  fat  men  ;  and  each  year  offer  me 
ten  more  fat  men,  and  you  shall  have  power  to  know  all 
secrets,  and  may  kill  whomsoever  you  choose.'  " 

The  wicked  old  Pepehi  did  as  he  was  bid,  and  hence- 
forth the  poison  god  of  Puukeekee  was  the  most  dread- 
ful of  all  the  heathen  idols  of  the  islands.  Arrogant 
chiefs  came  to  seek  its  aid  against  rival  chiefs.  Wicked 
people  from  every  part  of  the  group  came,  seeking  to  be 
rid  of  their  enemies.  Jealous  women  sought  its  aid 
against  profligate  husbands,  and  unruly  men  against  their 
too  faithful  wives,  in  a  land  where  wives  of  the  lower 
classes  were  bartered  like  fish  and/0/. 

The  treasures  of  the  land  were  brought  to  the  moun- 
tain heiau  in  exchange  for  a  tiny  pinch  of  dust  scraped 
from  Pepehi's  poison  god.  Thus  it  became  even  the 
beautiful  sister  of  the  old  kah-dna  to  beware  of  offending 
such  a  demon,  and  to  teach  her  god-born  child  to  show 
him  a  respect  that  he  could  not  feel,  lest  the  days  of  his 
youth  should  be  early  numbered. 

From  the  feast-day  of  Mahele  to  the  age  of  ten,  Umi 
became  a  moody,  reflective  boy.  Reared  among  the 


98  KamJhamtha  the  Great. 

charming  priest-girls,  Umi  seemed  to  join  with  his  whole 
heart  in  the  merry  sports  of  the  wahines;  yet  in  his  fits  of 
musing  the  boy  ever  yearned  for  more  stirring  scenes  in 
the  great  world  above  Mukini. 

Until  his  tenth  year  Umi's  pastimes  had  been  those  of 
his  wahine  playmates  :  sporting  in  the  river,  swimming 
into  the  caves  that  extended  beneath  its  precipitous 
banks,  diving  into  the  deep  pools  from  their  rocky 
heights  ;  fishing,  bird-hunting,  berrying  ;  climbing  the 
forest  trees  for  nuts  and  fruits,  and  gathering  the  rarest 
flowers  from  the  high-running  vines  ;  in  all  of  which 
accomplishments  the  agile  chief-maidens  were  as  great 
adepts  as  their  young  master. 

But  now  came  a  time  when  the  strong  youth  could  out- 
paddle  his  playmate  girls,  dart  weightier  bird-spears,  and 
twang  a  stronger  bow  than  any  wahine  about  the  temple.* 
He  was  no  longer  content  with  the  girls  and  the  few 
chief-boys  who  occasionally  came  to  Mukini.  He 
longed  to  enter  the  coveted  world  down  the  river,  and 
attest  his  youthful  powers  and  skill  with  his  equals. 

From  that  day  Umi  was  permitted  to  pass  the  forest 
limits  and  join  in  the  sports  of  the  Waimanus  boys, 
though  at  first  always  accompanied  by  his  kahu  alii — 
guardian  chiefess — the  wise  and  witty  Pemilani,  sent  to 
report  how  the  noble  youth  conducted  himself  among 
the  sons  of  the  haughty  chiefs  of  the  lower  valley. 

The  need  of  such  espionage  soon  proved  uncalled  for, 
as  the  old  war-chiefs  showed  great  respect  for  the  royal 
boy,  and  a  loving  reverence  for  his  mother,  while  the 
youth  of  either  sex  could  never  quite  divest  themselves  of 
awe  while  in  Umi's  presence,  because  of  the  divine  mys- 

*  The  Hawaiians  never  used  bow  and  arrows  as  weapons  of  war, 
but  only  to  shoot  rats,  mice,  and  birds  with  in  pastime. 


Boyhood  Days.  99 

tery  of  his  birth,  of  which  they  were  ever  reminded  by 
his  going  unclothed  from  his  birth.* 

Though  the  young  chief  had  sometimes  been  haughty 
and  overbearing  with  his  girl-mates — looking  upon  all 
womankind  but  his  imperious  mother  as  inferior  beings, — 
yet  the  tact  and  keen  good-sense  of  the  boy  curbed  his 
pride  of  birth  during  every  proof  of  athletic  skill  with  his 
mates  in  Waimanu. 

Umi's  superiority  in  all  feats  of  strength  over  boys  of 
nearly  twice  his  own  age  was  soon  evident.  It  was 
taken  as  a  thing  to  be  expected  in  one  of  his  exalted 
rank  and  divine  birth.  But  his  modesty  was  equally  re- 
markable. It  charmed  his  companions  to  loving  him. 

It  thus  happened  that  in  a  few  years  the  courteous 
manner  and  judicious  conduct  of  the  young  prince  won 
him  a  strong  following  of  chief-boys  from  among  the 
noblest  families  of  Waimanu.  To  these  Umi  told  his 
ambitious  day-dreams,  instilling  into  their  hot  blood 
something  of  his  own  ambition  for  the  strife  of  battle, 
and  of  his  love  of  glory  in  noble  deeds. 

Thus  passed  the  uneventful  years  of  the  youth. 
Among  the  mystic  doings  and  religious  rites  of  the  pagan 
temple  grew  up  this  strange  wise  boy.  From  his  reflec- 
tive and  retiring  habit  he  received  the  title,  now  so 
famous,  of  KAM£HAMEHA,|  or  "  The  Lonely  One." 

His  juvenile  mind  was  ever  alert  to  question  the  mys- 
teries of  Mukini.  He  watched  and  wondered  over  the 

*  To  go  naked  in  public  was  deemed  either  a  sign  of  madness  or 
the  mark  of  divine  birth.  Kings  were  sometimes  attended  by  these 
nude  men,  sprung  from  the  gods.  The  people  said  :  "  He  akua  ia," 
he  is  a  god. — (See  M.  Remy's  "Venerable  Savage,"  p.  15.) 

f  Pronounced  Kah-may'  hah-may'  ha,  with  the  accent  on  the  second 
and  fourth  syllables.  Kahekili  falsely  claimed  to  have  named  the 
boy  after  his  elder  brother,  King  Kamehamehanui. 


loo  Kame'hame'Iia  the  Great. 

pious  acts  of  the  priestly  mother  he  adored,  and  some- 
times he  questioned  the  lesser  statellites  who  had  been 
the  nurse-girls  of  his  childhood  and  the  loved  playmates 
of  his  youth.  He  grew  fast  beyond  their  companion- 
ship ;  yet  as  they  had  loved  and  nurtured  the  bright-eyed 
boy,  so  they  now  looked  with  pride,  and  almost  with 
adoration,  upon  the  manly  chief,  whose  voice  had  become 
deep  and  resonant,  and  was  now  as  musical  as  a  bird- 
song  to  their  ears. 

So  often  had  he  heard  that  his  mother  had  personal 
interviews,  on  momentous  occasions,  with  Pele,  that  his 
desire  to  behold  the  dread  goddess  became  the  all-per- 
vading thought  of  his  life.  This  desire  so  grew  upon 
him  that  it  begot  an  ardent  wish  to  join  Wailele  in 
her  daily  worship  at  Pele's  shrine.  It  also  impelled  him 
to  acquire  greater  proficiency  in  the  art  of  war,  that  he 
might  attract  Pele's  attention  by  deeds  of  valor. 

Often  when  "  The  Lonely  One  "  sought  the  deep  seclu- 
sion of  the  adjacent  forest,  and  climbed  to  the  topmost 
boughs  of  the  great  ohia  trees,  he  climbed  less  to  pluck 
the  crimson  apples  than  with  intent  to  harmonize  his 
young  mind  with  the  silence  and  the  mystic  bird-notes  of 
his  deep-foliaged  retreat,  ever  hopeful  that  he  might 
some  time  call  down  Pele  from  her  mountain  throne  in 
the  mighty  crater  of  fire.  Or,  if  this  great  revelation 
could  not  be,  perhaps  some  of  her  lesser  gods  would 
answer  the  ambitious  promptings  of  his  heart.  Fear  of 
supernatural  things,  good  or  evil,  was  never  an  ingredi- 
ent of  Kame'hameha's  soul.  His  constitutional  fear- 
lessness was  derived  from  his  mother.  Already  it  was 
needed,  for  many  and  startling  were  the  revelations  that 
now  dawned  upon  him  as  he  lay  pondering  in  the  tree- 
tops. 


The  Ghost-Loving  Boy.  101 

Ghostly  apparitions  sometimes  peopled  the  Waimanu 
forest ;  whisperings  like  distant  bird-songs  vibrated  upon 
the  stillness,  full  of  answers  to  his  questionings. 

When  once  the  least  vision  of  the  hidden  arcanum  is 
made  known  to  us,  then  its  remotest  mystery  awaits  our 
endeavors.  It  was  so  with  Umi.  When  at  length  he 
propounded  to  the  mystic  powers  about  him  solemn 
questions  pertaining  to  his  coming  life-work,  answers 
were  vouchsafed  by  the  Invisibles. 

Thus  with  his  mother's  wise  teachings  in  the  gloom  of 
the  heidu,  and  his  own  enquiries  made  in  the  ghost- 
haunted  valley,  Umi  came  to  the  knowledge  of  many 
mysteries.  Such  was  his  courage,  and  so  eager  was  he 
to  know  the  supernatural,  that  he  now  nightly  sought 
the  basins  where  the  resounding  cataracts  fell,  where 
grim,  shadowy  apparitions  of  long-gone  kahunas  swim 
in  the  black  pools  and  ride  down  the  falls  from  the 
rocky  fastnesses  above.*  But  the  long-coveted  vision  of 
Pele  still  continued  to  elude  the  keenest  scrutiny  of  his 
ear  and  eye. 

Failing  in  his  persistent  purpose  of  an  interview  with 
the  gods,  which  had  now  become  the  strongest  motive  of 
his  life,  Umi  finally  contemplated  a  pilgrimage  to  the 
volcano  of  Kilauea,  the  dread  habitation  of  the  supreme 
Goddess  of  Hawaii. 

When  the  boy's  courageous  design  was  unfolded  to  his 
mother,  the  proud  woman's  heart  showed  its  delight  in 
her  eyes.  Holding  out  her  beautiful  brown  arms,  Wai- 
le"le  caught  the  manly  boy  to  her  bosom,  forgetting  the 
austere  manners  of  a  kahuna  of  Pele.  The  mother's 
love  overmastered  the  dignity  of  priesthood  for  the  mo- 

*  The  Au  Makua,  ghost  spirits  of  dead  ancestors  which  the 
Hawaiians  think  remain  on  earth. 


IO2  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

ment ;  she  wept  tears  of  joy  over  the  ambitious  daring 
of  her  Umi.  For  none  but  stern  priests  and  the  bravest 
of  men  dared  venture  upon  such  a  pilgrimage  alone, 
least  of  all  when  bent  upon  a  midnight  interview  with 
the  Goddess  of  the  Volcano. 

On  that  auspicious  day  the  brave  boy  of  twelve  was 
officially  made  an  alii  kapu,  or  tabu  chief,  with  solemn 
rites  ;  three  other  chief-boys  were  also  confirmed.  A 
strict  tabti  was  promulgated  throughout  the  valley  on  the 
occasion,  and  a  few  of  the  great  chief-families  were 
called  in  to  take  part  in  the  ceremony.  Proper  oblation 
was  made  to  Pele,  and  a  large  puaa  hea  (sacred  hog)  was 
offered  in  sacrifice  upon  the  altar. 

As  the  company  knelt  about  the  sacred  lele  where  the 
offering  was  being  roasted,  and  the  grateful  odor  of  the 
sandal-wood  fire  filled  the  dome-shaped  temple,  the 
Priestess  and  her  six  wahines  marched  round  the  altar 
singing  anthems  to  the  Goddess.  Within  the  charmed 
circle  knelt  the  four  handsome  chief-boys,  joining  in  the 
hymn,  while  the  audience  from  the  lower  valley  knelt  in 
an  outer  circle  round  about  them  all. 

The  heart  of  Umi  in  that  exultant  hour  burst  the 
bonds  of  boyhood  ;  henceforth  his  was  a  boy's  heart  no 
more.  To  treat  a  youth  with  wise  consideration  above 
his  years,  is  to  exalt  him  into  the  proud  domain  of  man- 
hood. Umi  was  confirmed  as  tabu-chief ;  as  Kame- 
hameha,  "The  Lonely  One,"  because  by  that  newly 
acquired  name  the  unseen  spirits  had  always  addressed 
him.  This  was  thought  to  be  ominous  of  good.*  The 
names  of  the  three  other  alii  kapu  were  Kameeimoku,  f 

*  The  family  name  of  his  mother,  Kakuiapoiwa,  was  added  to  his 
own  to  constitute  his  full  title. 

f  This  chief  was  the  noble  ancestor  of  King  Kalakaua,  and  one  of 


Message  from  Pele.  103 

Kamanawa,  and  Miomio.  They  all  in  after-years 
became  most  efficient  warriors  under  the  reign  of  their 
young  master. 

After  the  ceremony  about  the  lele  had  been  com- 
pleted, the  Priestess  immured  herself  in  the  wahi  kapi^  or 
sacred  place,  to  hold  personal  communion  with  Pele,  and 
to  transmit  the  oracles,  whether  signs  or  sayings,  to  the 
kneeling  audience  without. 

It  was  hours  before  the  Goddess  deigned  to  answer 
the  supplications  of  her  loved  Kahuna.  But  at  length 
the  divine  message  came  from  the  far-away  crater,  Hale- 
mau-mau,  and  with  joyful  heart  was  interpreted  to  Kame- 
hameha  and  his  boy-companions  : 

"  Aloha !  love  and  greeting  to  Wailele  of  Mukini ! 
Pele  discovers  a  new  worshipper  at  her  shrine  in  the 
deep  vale  of  Waimanu.  It  was  good  to  make  the  god- 
born  youth  an  alii  kapu  •  for  he  is  not  a  stranger  to  the 
gods  about  Kilauea.  A  great  destiny  is  recorded  for 
Kamehameha  on  my  tablets  of  fire.  Witness  whoever 
hath  eyes  !  Because  of  this  event  yet  another  peak  shall 
be  added  to  the  six  snow  crests  of  Mauna  Kea ;  an 
eternal  token  that  '  The  Lonely  One '  is  loved  of  the 
gods,  and  shall  rule  among  men. 

"Aloha!  my  kahtina.  Aloha!  my  keike  alii"  (king's 
son). 

As  long  waiting  brought  no  further  response  for  the 
other  boy  chiefs,  Wailele  came  out  from  the  sacred  place, 
and  after  embracing  her  son,  led  the  way  without  the 
heidu  to  see  if  Pele's  word  was  fulfilled. 

All  eyes  were  instantly  turned  to  the  majestic  moun- 
tain top,  towering  three  miles  into  the  air  above  the 

Kamehameha's  most  formidable  warriors.  He  captured  the  "Fair 
American,"  whose  cannon  won  several  battles  during  the  conquest. 


IO4  Kamthame'ha  the  Great. 

valley,  and  with  a  shout  of  joy  it  was  announced  by 
every  voice  :  "  'T  is  there  !  't  is  there  !  " 

And  there  indeed  was  a  seventh  snow-crowned  peak* 
pointing  with  icy  finger  to  the  blue  heavens  ;  the  eternal 
sanction  of  the  gods  to  the  forthcoming  greatness  of 
Kamehameha,  the  god-born  son  of  Wailele  Kakuia- 
poiwa. 

From  that  hour  till  the  day  of  his  death  Kamehameha 
lived  in  closest  bonds  of  brotherhood  with  those  three 
knight-companions.  The  first  of  the  number  became 
the  noble  ancestor  of  a  new  dynasty  of  kings  who  came 
to  the  throne  a  century  later.f 

*  On  the  truncated  top  of  Mauna  Kea,  within  a  circumference  of 
six  miles,  there  are  seven  snow-capped  peaks,  from  800  to  1,000  feet 
high  ;  the  central  and  westernmost  peaks  being  the  highest. 

f  Kameeimoku  and  Kamanawa  were  the  tabued  twins  of  Kekau- 
like,  of  Maui,  and  were  thus  half-brothers  of  Kahekili,  the  reigning 
king ;  who,  when  he  heard  the  wonderful  promise  of  Kamehameha, 
sent  these  two  royal  aliis  to  become  his  life-long  kahus,  or  guardian 
companions.  This  is  evidence  that  Kahekili  greatly  loved  Wailele, 
and  perhaps  really  believed  that  his  ardent  love  had  inspired  her  to 
invoke  the  deities  for  a  god-born  hero. — ("Polynesian  Races,"  p. 
261.) 


XIII. 

HUMAN    SACRIFICE    IN    THE    TEMPLE. 

AMEHAMEHA'S  second  interview  with  his 
savage  old  uncle  was  at  the  ripening  age  of  ten. 
Their  first  introduction  had  been  two  years  before,  during 
the  religious  rite  of  Mahele,  when  the  grim  old  Kahuna 
performed  the  right  of  circumcision  for  his  nephew. 

Pepehi  now  came  to  the  valley  on  business  with  the 
great  war  chiefs,  demanding  more  tribute  from  their  rich 
vale  for  the  heidu  of  Puukeekee.  Coming  to  Mukini  to 
visit  his  sister — the  only  being  of  whom  he  was  proud, — 
the  keen-eyed  old  monster  started  with  surprise  to  see 
what  a  promising  lad  Kamehameha  had  become.  He  at 
once  suggested  that  the  boy  should  return  with  him  to 
his  mountain  heidu. 

Wailele  blanched  to  an  ashy  paleness  at  the  thought  of 
parting  with  her  boy,  trembling  to  think  of  consigning 
him  to  such  murderous  hands.  For  there  were  now  indi- 
cations of  a  temper  developing  in  her  boy  that  she  feared 
to  think  of.  He  had  fits  of  passion  upon  small  provoca- 
tion when  the  rights  of  others  were  encroached  upon, 
though  he  was  rarely  aroused  by  any  intrusion  upon  his 
own  rights.  The  passionate  boy  would  often  burst  into 
tears  at  the  suffering  of  others  ;  but  he  bore  pain  like  a 
Stoic  himself. 

How  could  a  mother  trust  such  a  boy  with  Pepehi, — 
one  so  sensitive  to  the  suffering  of  others,  so  ferocious  in 

105 


106  Kamthamdha  the  Great. 

righting  others'  wrongs  ?  Yet  the  intuitive  tact  of  the 
wise  woman  came  to  her  aid,  and  she  remembered  the 
yet  greater  danger  of  arousing  the  venomous  dislike  of 
the  old  Kahuna,  which  would  become  a  more  certain 
peril  to  her  darling. 

At  their  previous  interview  the  hideous  old  priest  had 
failed  to  inspire  the  boy  either  with  respect  for  his  holy 
office,  or  fear  of  his  man-killing  propensities.  Such  want 
of  reverence,  if  shown  by  any  other  youth,  would  have 
aroused  the  deadly  hatred  of  the  old  Kahuna.  But  at 
that  time  the  crusty  priest  seemed  to  enjoy  the  imperious 
spirit  of  his  loved  sister's  child,  and  instead  of  the  boy's 
doings  awakening  vindictiveness,  they  rather  quickened 
Pepehi's  interest  in  the  precocious  youth,  and  awakened 
something  almost  akin  to  love  for  the  fearless  boy. 

If  the  arrogant  old  man  chid  the  child  for  disobedience 
to  some  savage  command,  the  dark  eyes  of  the  chief-boy 
flashed  with  fierceness  equal  to  his  own.  And  not  until 
the  corrugated  face  of  the  priest  softened  into  a  smile  of 
approbation  at  the  boy's  fearlessness,  would  Umi  do  the 
thing  he  had  been  bidden. 

Sometimes  the  mystified  old  priest  would  snatch  the 
boy  to  his  arms  and  fondle  him  with  almost  paternal 
tenderness. 

At  such  times  Umi,  always  won  by  affection,  would 
suffer  his  uncle  to  stroke  his  dark  hair  with  his  long  lank 
fingers,  stained  with  the  blood  of  a  thousand  victims,  and 
grown  talon-like  by  strangling  men  with  tigerish  delight 
to  see  them  die. 

How  strange  it  seems  that  even  the  most  cruel  soul 
will  sometimes  disclose  a  beam  of  affection — coming  like 
a  sun  burst  from  a  storm-cloud — when  thus  confronted 
with  the  spontaneous  witchery  of  a  noble  child.  It  is  the 


The  Tabii  Creed.  107 

one  reminder  which  takes  him  back  to  the  prattling  days 
at  the  mother's  knee. 

Never  in  the  knowledge  of  man  was  this  crusty  old 
Kahuna  known  to  love  any  one  but  his  beautiful  sister 
and  her  fearless  child.  But  the  kindly  impulse  was  ever 
brief,  and  produced  a  terrible  reaction.  The  monster  al- 
ways selected  some  innocent  victim  for  sacrifice  on  his 
way  back  to  Puukeekee,  as  the  peculiarly  colored  smoke 
of  his  altar  fire  made  known  immediately  after  his  return. 

The  priest's  fondness  for  the  boy  resulted  in  giving 
him  not  a  little  information  about  the  upper  world  with 
which  he  so  longed  to  mingle  in  the  great  events  of  life. 
Pepehi  taught  him,  among  other  things,  the  origin  and 
history  of  the  ancient  tabii.  His  first  lesson,  imparted  at 
the  Mahele  as  part  of  the  religious  rite,  was  as  follows: — 

"  The  tenets  of  the  original  tabii"  said  the  Priest,  "  are 
these  :  " 

"  i.  Certain  rights  are  tabii  to  the  king,  and  certain  other 
rights  to  the  queen.  So  with  all  men  and  their  wives. 

"  2.  Woman  shall  not  eat  with  man,  else  she  die. 

"  3.  The  first  fish,  fruit,  and  flesh  is  consecrated  to  the 
gods,  and  it  is  death  for  woman  to  eat  thereof. 

"  4.  Build  heiatis  to  Ku,  Lono,  Kane,  Kaneloa,  and  Pele, 
and  worship  the  40,000  idols.  Temples  are  tabii  to  wo- 
men except  they  are  born  of  an  alii  kapu,  and  dedicate 
their  lives  to  priesthood. 

"  5.  Pork,  bananas,  cocoa-nuts,  turtle,  and  all  rare  kinds 
of  fish  are  tabii  to  women,  and  instant  death  shall  over- 
take her  if  she  eat  thereof. 

"  6.  There  shall  be  four  regular  tabiis  in  the  month, 
which  must  be  strictly  kept  lest  the  gods  rend  our  island 
with  their  wrath  : 

"  a.  Kapu-Ku,  the  set  or  fixed  tabii,  at  Hilo  or  the  new 
moon,  and  for  two  nights  after. 


io8  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

"  b.  Kapu-Hua,  the  fruit  tabti,  at  Mohalu,  or  the  first 
gibbous  moon,  and  one  night  after. 

"  c.  Kapu-Kaola,  the  cooking  tabii,  for  the  two  nights 
from  Olepau,  or  the  second  gibbous  moon,  coming  after 
the  full. 

"  d.  Kapu-Kane,  the  man  tabti  ;  for  the  three  nights 
from  Kane  to  Mauli,  when  a  man  must  be  sacrificed  in 
every  heidu  of  Pele." 

This  first  lesson  from  Pepehi  was  kept  fresh  in  Kame"- 
hameha's  memory  by  the  priest-girls,  as  even  a  boy  is 
held  responsible  for  breaking  a  tabti  after  his  Mahele. 

Though  the  noble  chief-boy  could  be  overbearing  to 
one  of  dictatorial  manners,  or  unjust  assumption,  like  the 
priest,  yet  he  possessed  an  innate  courtesy  and  an  intui- 
tive dignity  of  speech  when  in  the  presence  of  people 
noble  by  birth  or  made  eminent  by  heroic  achievements. 
This  ingenious  perception  of  character  by  children  is  of 
unfailing  accuracy.  In  the  young  chief  it  was  derived 
from  his  high-born  mother. 

It  will  be  seen  that  there  was  abundant  cause  for 
Wailele's  anxiety  in  trusting  such  a  sensitive  boy  in  the 
hands  of  one  so  inconsiderate  as  her  hard-hearted  old 
brother.  Nevertheless,  as  the  least  of  present  evils,  it 
was  thought  best  to  consent  to  the  lad's  going  with  his 
uncle.  And  with  a  proud  mother's  appeal  for  watchful 
care  and  safe  return,  Kamehameha  was  permitted  to  go 
with  the  priest. 

Parting  from  his  mother  and  the  weeping  priest-girls 
at  the  river  side, — with  last  words  of  warning  from  all  in 
the  ears  of  the  boy, — the  craft  sped  down  the  river  to  the 
sea-shore,  where  stout  men  with  a  stout  sea-going  canoe 
awaited  the  Kahuna.  Though  born  in  the  valley,  it  was 
the  first  time  that  Kamehameha  had  ever  been  to  the  river 


Visit  to  Puukeekee.  109 

mouth.  It  was  all  a  new  world  to  him.  And  he  was 
soon  to  climb  the  mountain  which  he  had  worshipped  as 
a  shrine  from  out  his  valley  home. 

Their  perilous  dash  through  the  surf  and  quick  move- 
ments to  avoid  the  rocks,  which  showed  in  the  trough  of 
the  seas  like  monsters  lurking  for  prey,  was  a  severe  test 
to  the  boy's  courage.  The  eyes  of  the  old  Kahtina  were 
upon  him,  curious  to  watch  this  first  trial  of  his  mettle  in 
the  presence  of  a  new  danger.  But  to  this  god-born 
youth  the  moving  grandeur  of  the  breakers,  and  the 
turbulent  fret  and  whirl  of  the  foam  as  it  towered  above 
them,  rolling  shoreward  with  power  sufficient  to  jar  the 
cliffs,  was  an  inspiring  scene.  The  flash  of  his  eye  and 
the  curl  of  his  lip  showed  something  of  the  wild  exulta- 
tion which  possessed  him. 

Landing  at  the  next  valley  southward  from  Waimanu, 
from  which,  egress  was  found  leading  up  the  mountain 
side,  the  gnarled  old  Kahuna  and  the  strong,  active  boy 
climbed  their  toilsome  way  up  to  Puukeekee.  The 
priest  expressed  surprise  at  the  endurance  of  the  lad, 
who  lent  a  strong  hand  to  assist  the  waddling  steps  of 
his  uncle. 

As  they  sat  down  to  rest  after  the  tussle  up  the  steepest 
places,  the  Kahuna  took  occasion  to  sound  the  thoughts 
of  his  bright-eyed  nephew.  Gratified  by  what  he  said, 
and  perhaps  by  the  comfort  of  having  such  a  helpful 
hand  in  time  of  need — for  there  is  too  often  a  modicum 
of  selfishness  in  the  benefactions  of  a  loving  uncle, — the 
cunning  old  wretch  hinted  at  the  probability  of  making 
a  high-priest  of  the  boy,  if  he  should  prove  respectful 
and  obedient.  Some  one,  clearly,  would  have  to  take 
the  Kahuna's  place  in  the  near  future  ;  for  though  he 
was  still  strong  and  lusty,  his  years  were  many. 


no  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

But  Kamehameha  had  taken  his  lesson  from  his 
mother.  He  regarded  the  situation  as  one  suitable  for 
his  first  attempt  at  diplomacy,  though  the  odds  of 
Pepehi's  age  and  long  experience  were  much  against  the 
boy.  Without  rudely  rejecting  the  proposal,  he  left  the 
wily  old  Kahtina  to  believe  that  he  would  favorably  con- 
sider the  matter,  and  defer  his  decision  until  he  should 
be  old  enough  to  choose  for  himself.  This  was  a  mis- 
taken, even  a  dangerous,  step  to  take  in  dealing  with  a 
man  in  power.  Difficulties  in  life  are  easiest  strangled 
in  their  infancy.  The*  danger  may  be  destroyed  by  a 
word  fitly  spoken  at  the  time  ;  but  difficulties  grow  with 
delay,  and  often  become  matter  for  contending  armies. 

Within  his  wise  young  head  the  chief-boy  despised  the 
cruel  old  priest,  and  hated  the  brutal  manner  in  which 
he  perpetrated  his  butcheries  for  sacrifice.  And  perhaps 
it  would  have  amazed  the  Kahuna  to  know  that  th-e  boy 
had  already  mapped  out  a  larger  and  loftier  field  of 
action  than  priesthood  for  his  young  ambition.  Little 
did  he  dream  that  "  The  Lonely  One  "  aspired  to  become, 
not  the  head  of  a  heathen  heidu,  but  "  The  Lord  of  the 
Four  Seas,"  as  the  broad  channels  between  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  are  called,  and  monarch  of  the  entire  group. 

As  quiet  reigned  at  the  heidu  for  several  days  after  the 
young  Alii's  arrival,  Pepehi  took  the  trouble  to  initiate 
his  prospective  heir  into  the  deeper  mysteries  of  the 
tabti.  He  was  surprised  to  find  how  readily  the  youth 
comprehended  its  crafty  policy  as  applied  to  governing 
the  church  and  strengthening  the  state.  To  make 
thorough  work  the  aged  priest  began  at  the  creation  of 
the  world. 

"  Boy,  if  you  are  to  become  the  Kahtina  maole  of 
Puukeekee,  you  must  know  all  things  from  the  begin- 


The  Hawdiian  Adam.  1 1 1 

ning.  For  a  Kahuna  must  also  be  a  mo-o-le-lo — histo- 
rian— as  Pepehi  has  been  the  Moo-Kahuna  of  Hawaii  in 
his  day. 

"  In  the  beginning,  the  first  thing  was  Poeleele,  or 
Night.  It  was  so  dark  that  when  the  volcano  was  not 
burning  the  earth  was  black  everywhere  about. 

"  Wakea  was  our  first  parent,  the  Adam  of  the  world. 
He  was  made  by  the  gods  from  hot  lava,  to  which  Pele 
gave  life  of  her  life,  and  she  saw  her  work  was  good. 
As  man  was  not  made  to  see  in  the  darkness,  when  Loa 
was  not.  burning,  Pele  sent  to  Tahiti  for  La* — the  sun. 
When  Kana  first  brought  the  bright  thing  home  to 
Hawaii,  it  was  hung  aloft  in  the  sky,  as  you  see  it  now. 
Papa,  a  goddess  of  great  beauty,  saw  Wakea  and  loved 
him,  and  the  man  took  the  divine  creature  for  his  wife, 
and  she  bore  him  many  children. 

"The  tabti  was  originated  by  Satan  and  Wakea,  the 
king.  The  tabu  was  made  to  cover  the  great  original  sin 
of  our  first  parent.  After  a  hundred  years  of  happy 
wedded  life,  Papa  bore  her  last  daughter,  a  child  of  re- 
markable beauty.  Hoohuku-kalani  was  as  beautiful  as 
your  mother  ;  so  attractive  was  the  girl  that  when  she 
grew  up,  Wakea,  her  own  father,  came  to  look  on  her 
with  unnatural  affection,  and  told  the  queen  he  should 
marry  her. 

"The  jealous  Papa  became  justly  indignant,  and  for- 
bade the  incestuous  act ;  and  threatened  terrible  ven- 
geance from  the  gods  with  whom  she  was  connected. 
But  the  wicked  Kahiko,  king  of  Mi/u,  the  lower  world, 
appeared  to  Wakea  and  tempted  him  on  to  evil. 

"Wakea  demanded  of  the  archfiend  a  religious  creed 
which  should  permit  man  to  put  away  his  wife  and  marry 

*  This  word  is  probably  identical  with  the  Sanskrit  Ra. 


112  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

whom  he  liked.  Kahiko  devised  the  kapu  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  king  and  the  coming  priests  (for  there  were  no 
priests  until  after  that  time),  and  he  succeeded  so  well 
that  Wakea  made  him  High-Priest  of  Hawaii,  because  of 
satanic  services. 

"  Hence  arose  the  tabu  system,  which  made  the  priest 
vicegerent  of  the  gods,  and  compelled  man  to  sacrifice 
his  fellows  as  the  wages  of  sin.  It  imparts  power  to  in- 
flict death  on  whomsoever  evades  the  oracles  of  the  gods 
as  transmitted  through  the  priests.  The  tabu  grants  po- 
lygamy to  men  and  polytheism  to  women.  It  prohibits 
women  eating  with  their  husbands,  and  forbids  her  many 
of  the  best  kinds  of  food.  This  I  taught  you  at  the  Ma- 
hele. 

"  Tabii  sanctions  separation  of  husband  and  wife  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  man.  It  permits  the  union  of  father 
and  daughter,  brother  and  sister,  and  the  marriage  of  one 
man  to  many  sisters,*  all  of  which  unnatural  bonds  are 
now  held  in  great  esteem  among  the  high  chiefs  in  all  the 
islands. 

"  As  may  be  seen,  priest-power  has  sometimes  become 
strong  enough  to  overshadow  and  overthrow  the  secular 
power,  making  use  of  some  divine  mandate  imparted  by 
the  gods.  Hence,  to  elevate  kings  above  the  malice  and 
cunning  intrusion  of  priest-craft  in  affairs  of  state,  mon- 
archs  now  assume  the  sacred  title  of  Alii  Kapu — tabu 
chief — and  take  upon  themselves  the  headship  of  church 
as  well  as  state. 

"  For   appearance'    sake  the  kahuna-nut  (high-priest) 

*  Which  unholy  tenet  Kamehameha  subsequently  made  good  use  of 
by  marrying  three  sisters  from  one  royal  family,  Kaahumanu  be- 
ing the  first.  And  great  was  her  indignation  when  Kalakua  was 
brought  home  as  a  second  bride  ;  soon  followed  by  Namahana,  the 
third  sister,  all  daughters  of  Keeaumoku. 


Human  Sacrifice.  113 

is  always  suffered  to  occupy  the  anu  (holy  of  holies) 
during  religious  ceremonies,  while  the  king  and  great 
chiefs  sit  without  to  interpret  the  oracle — and  perhaps  re- 
cast the  god-given  message  for  the  people  which  the 
petty  chiefs  are  to  distribute  to  the  heralds  outside  of  the 
heidu. 

"  I  will  now  make  known  the  tabti  rules  of  sacrifice  at 
the  death  of  a  king  or  great  chief.  Before  the  corpse  is 
removed  from  the  death-bed,  one  man  is  sufficient  for 
sacrifice.  If  taken  from  the  house  where  he  died,  four 
Kanakas  are  required  to  satisfy  the  gods.  If  sacrifice  is 
delayed  until  the  grave  is  prepared,  then  ten  men  are 
called  for.  But  if  the  corpse  is  already  deposited  in  the 
sepulchre,  then  fifteen  Kanakas  must  be  immolated  to 
appease  the  growing  anger  of  the  gods  ;  and  if  the  delay 
is  made  for  one  day  after  the  priest  has  promulgated  a 
general  tabu  over  the  land,  then  forty  men  must  die,  or 
the  island  will  be  rended  in  twain  with  earthquakes, 
and  the  volcanoes  will  devastate  the  land  with  their  rivers 
of  fire." 

Just  here  the  tipsy  old  Kahuna  fell  asleep,  for  he  had 
been  constantly  sipping  awa  and  eating  sugar-cane,  while 
he  was  instructing  his  nephew. 

These  days  of  quiet  were  soon  followed  by  sudden  ac- 
tivity, caused  by  news  of  the  death  of  a  great  chief  at 
Waipio,  the  residence  of  the  king.  The  herald  who 
brought  the  news  was  soon  followed  by  natives  from 
Waipio,  bringing  baked  hogs,  dogs,  and/0/,  sent  as  trib- 
utes to  the  priest  and  to  his  people  about  the  heidu. 

But  Pepehi's  man-killers  had  chanced  to  be  at  Waipio 
when  the  death  occurred ;  and  a  few  hours  afterward 
they  came  to  Puukeekee,  each  one  of  them  dragging  a 
Kanaka  by  a  lasso,  ready  for  the  coming  sacrifice.  The 


1 14  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

faithful  servants  had  not  waited  orders  from  their  master 
to  select  their  victims  for  the  coming  obsequies. 

When  a  lean  fellow  was  brought  in,  the  priest  muttered 
a  frightful  malediction  on  the  head  of  the  executioner 
who  brought  him.  But  the  next  being  fat  and  young — 
a  toothsome  subject — the  murderous  old  Kahuna  rubbed 
his  shrivelled  hands  with  the  utmost  satisfaction.  Eagerly 
seizing  a  laau  palau,  or  war-club,  he  beat  out  the  brains 
of  his  victim  with  the  ferocious  eagerness  of  a  shark  who 
tears  his  prey. 

One  young  Kanaka,  who  had  been  entrapped  at  some 
distance  up  the  mountain,  was  brought  in  dead,  having 
become  exhausted  from  fear  and  rough  usage.  This 
handsome  young  fellow  was  from  Waimanu.  It  was  his 
business  to  gather  pulu  (fern  wool)  from  the  fern  trees  on 
the  mountain,  and  he  had  been  caught  while  descending 
with  his  load  of  the  golden  fibre,  which  is  used  for  stuff- 
ing pillows  and  cushions. 

Kako  was  a  brother  of  one  of  the  priest-girls,  and  had 
been  a  friend  of  our  hero.  Kamehameha  questioned  the 
inebriated  priest  why  so  good  a  man  should  perish  be- 
cause of  the  death  of  a  stranger  chief  at  Waipio  ?  The 
exigency  of  the  state  was  the  only  reason,  said  the  priest. 
And  having  given  this  explanation,  he  added  in  a  surly 
voice  :  "  Remember,  boy,  you  were  born  a  chief.  Never 
forget  to  uphold  the  privileges  of  your  class  without  a 
question." 

The  live  prisoners  who  were  not  wanted  for  immediate 
use  were  bolted  into  a  strong  stone  cell  in  one  of  the 
great  rock-built  pyramids.  There  the  poor  wretches 
awaited  their  turn  to  be  disembowelled  and  roasted  on 
the  altar.  Once  entrapped,  none  are  ever  reprieved  ex- 
cept by  order  of  the  king  or  some  powerful  chief. 


Killing  the  Victims.  115 

The  dead  were  prepared  for  sacrifice  as  sheep  for  the 
shambles,  piled  one  beside  another  on  the  altar  with  the 
pigs  and  dogs  to  insure  the  quick  passage  of  the  de- 
parted soul  to  the  realms  of  Akua.  This  part  of  a  priest's 
duties  was  usually  well  performed  ;  for  he  dreaded  the 
dual  ghost-soul  which  otherwise  might  remain  on  earth  to 
strangle  the  enemy  of  the  dead. 

Altogether  this  was  too  sickening  a  scene  for  the  young 
chief  to  look  upon,  and  as  the  priest  was  too  busy  gloat- 
ing over  the  victims  to  watch  him,  Kamehameha  passed 
quietly  out  of  the  heidu  and  kept  secluded  in  the  moun- 
tain until  the  dreadful  sacrificial  scene  was  over. 

Not  quite  daring  to  go  home  to  Waimanu  without  per- 
mission from  the  old  Kahuna,  Kamehameha  returned  to 
the  heidu  for  his  uncle's  leave.  To  all  appearance  he 
had  not  been  missed  by  the  blood-stained  wretches,  every 
one  of  whom  had  gorged  himself  with  human  flesh,  roast- 
ed to  the  turn  that  suited  the  experienced  palate  of  each. 

At  the  chief's  request  for  permission  to  depart,  the 
surly  old  Kahuna  bid  him  begone,  muttering  that  the 
dog-fed  cub  was  too  pampered  to  relish  human  flesh. 
But  the  priest  so  far  aroused  himself  as  to  think  of  the 
boy's  safety,  for  his  mother's  sake,  and  ordered  one  of 
the  least  drunk  of  his  executioners  to  accompany  the 
lad,  lest  some  other  of  his  man-killers  should  entrap  the 
youth,  deeming  him  a  good  subject  for  a  roast  at  Puukeeke. 

From  \hepepehi  who  escorted  him  down  the  mountain, 
Kamehameha  learned  that  thirteen  victims  had  been 
caught,  or  killed  and  left  where  they  were  slain  ;  five  out 
of  the  number  having  been  disembowelled  and  sacrificed. 
The  brutal  man-killer  inadvertently  admitted  that  the 
choice  of  subjects  for  immolation  was  always  made  with 
a  view  to  obtaining  a  tender  morsel  for  the  priest's  palate. 


XIV. 

MIDNIGHT    INCANTATIONS    AMONG    THE    GHOSTS. 

GLAD  indeed  was  the  anxious  priest-mother  to  see 
her  boy  again  after  his  visit  to  Puukeekee.  She 
knew  by  the  smoke  that  a  human  sacrifice  was  taking 
place  at  the  heidu,  and  well  she  understood  what  her  boy 
must  look  upon  ere  his  return.  The  priestess  remem- 
bered her  own  childhood,  and  the  sickening  horrors  that 
she  had  seen,  though  her  father,  the  venerable  Kahuna 
of  Mukini,  had  never  permitted  unnecessary  brutality 
with  his  victims  during  kapu  kane.  Pepehi's  love  of 
cruelty,  even  in  boyhood,  had  led  his  father  to  send  him 
to  his  uncle  at  Puukeekee,  whose  place  the  young  priest 
took  when  the  uncle  died  ;  while  Wailele  had  been 
trained  for  the  priesthood  of  Mukini  before  the  death  of 
her  father. 

Sad  were  the  mother's  reflections  when  told  of  the 
savage  demeanor  of  Pepehi  to  her  boy,  the  effect  of  in- 
toxicating awa.  When  Kamehameha  told  of  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Waimanu  native,  a  piteous  wail  filled  the  temple 
for  the  dead,  for  he  was  a  near  relative  of  one  of  the 
priest-girls,  and  they  knew  him  well.  The  grief-stricken 
girl  was  permitted  to  go  down  the  river  in  a  canoe  to 
acquaint  his  parents  and  friends  with  the  dead  boy's 
cruel  end. 

Pepehi's  design  of  making  Kamehameha  the  high- 
priest  of  the  heidu  was  not  approved  by  Wailele,  and  his 

116 


Skill  with  Spears.  117 

exasperation  when  refused  would  involve  a  deadly  peril 
which  must  be  provided  for  at  any  risks.  Wailele  could 
only  repeat  that  he  must  be  gently  dealt  with,  put  off 
from  time  to  time,  until — until 

Why  his  mother  should  so  frequently  end  her  wise  in- 
junction so  abruptly,  and  why  her  lovely  face  should 
flush  at  what  was  left  untold,  the  dutiful  boy  could  not 
conjecture.  In  answer  to  his  questioning  glance  she 
would  always  fold  him  in  her  arms  and  whisper  :  "  Some 
time  my  noble  boy  shall  know  all.  It  is  enough  now  to 
know  that  you  are  very  dear  to  your  mother." 

Kamehameha  was  urged  to  give  daily  attention  to  ac- 
quiring the  utmost  proficiency  in  the  arts  of  warfare,  that 
whatever  the  occasion  and  whoever  his  foe  might  be,  he 
should  be  found  equal  to  the  emergency.  Little  need 
was  there  of  prompting  her  lusty  chief-boy,  who  was  al- 
ready the  champion  of  the  valley,  and  who  soon  after  his 
return  from  Puukeekee  acquired  the  new  name  of  Puhi- 
kapa — "  Strangler  of  sea-snakes." 

This  cognomen  arose  from  the  boy's  attacking  a  snake- 
like  monster  which  came  into  the  river  and  drove  every- 
body out  in  dismay.  He  grappled  with  the  frightful 
creature  and  killed  him.  It  was  one  of  many  instances 
of  the  boy's  remarkable  strength.  In  after  years  he 
could  crush  a  man's  skull  or  break  his  leg  by  the  mere 
grip  of  his  gigantic  hands. 

Waimanu  Valley  had  a  high  reputation  for  skilled  war- 
riors, and  the  lad  could  find  no  better  teachers  than  in 
his  native  valley.  And  that  the  god-born  chief  of  Mu- 
kini  gave  such  attention  to  learning  the  use  of  war  wea- 
pons imparted  a  new  impulse  to  athletic  and  martial  ex- 
ercises. 

A  recent  disastrous  battle  with  the  king  of  Maui  made 


1 1 8  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

it  probable  that  a  new  accession  of  young  warriors  would 
soon  be  called  for,  and  all  were  eager  to  go.  Kame- 
hameha's  remarkable  proficiency  stimulated  new  valor  in 
every  chief-boy  in  the  valley. 

So  the  next  coming  years  passed,  and  the  chief-boy  of 
Mukini  grew  to  be  a  young  giant ;  not  only  herculean  in 
strength  and  stature,  but  fearless  of  every  known  form  of 
danger.  His  dexterous  power  in  the  use  of  arms  amazed 
the  grim  old  war-chiefs  of  the  valley.  He  was  so  cool 
and  unflinching  in  the  presence  of  danger,  so  agile  and 
flexible  in  his  movements  that  a  dozen  sharp  spears  could 
be  hurled  furiously  at  his  naked  breast  without  touching 
him.  This  game  of  spears  became  a  daily  pastime  for  the 
heroic  boy.  It  was  an  exercise  requiring  strong  nerves, 
steady  eye,  and  a  marvellous  motility.  To  duck,  dodge, 
swerve,  or  to  stand  immovable  when  a  well-directed  spear 
was  to  be  parried  or  caught  in  the  hand  instead  of  being 
avoided, — these  were  the  accomplishments  which  decided 
for  life  or  death  in  the  combats  of  the  Hawaiian  war- 
riors.* 

Kamehameha  had  now  become  so  popular  that  he  al- 
ready had  a  following  of  more  than  a  hundred  young 
chiefs  from  among  those  of  highest  rank  in  Waimanu. 
Though  he  became  the  champion  athlete  of  them  all,  he 
still  remained  modest  enough  to  seek  out  the  famed  old 
war  chiefs  and  practise  to  catch  their  special  quality  of 
fence  or  thrust,  or  to  learn  their  management  of  the  mas- 
sive war  clubs,  by  which  they  had  won  many  a  battle. 

Yet  with  all  the  boy's  love  of  warlike  exercise  and 
knowledge  of  state-craft,  the  fierce,  strong  lad  liked  well 

*  A  dozen  or  more  spears  would  be  cast  at  a  chief,  which  he  could 
nimbly  avoid  or  catch  and  hurl  back  upon  the  foe. — ("  Jarves'  His- 
tory," page  66.) 


Conjuring  the  Ghosts.  119 

to  be  with  his  mother  on  all  special  occasions  of  worship. 
He  questioned  Pele  and  the  other  gods,  with  the  aim  of 
learning  so  to  comport  himself  that  he  might  be  blessed 
with  a  vision  of  the  supreme  deity  of  Hawaii.  All  this 
was  as  practically  thought  out  as  his  art  of  war  ;  for,  if  he 
were  to  be  a  leader  in  the  land,  he  wished  access  to  di- 
vine wisdom  ;  he  needed  that  every  act  of  his  life  might 
be  directed  by  the  gods  ;  for  nothing  short  of  supreme 
power  would  satisfy  his  ambition  for  fame. 

Even  at  this  age  the  young  Alii  was  wise  enough  to 
know  that  he  must  first  become  a  priest-chief,  or  a  chief 
warrior,  in  order  to  attain  the  supreme  power  that  he 
sought.  Which  should  it  be  ?  This  was  a  question  that 
he  wished  the  gods  to  decide  for  him. 

With  such  grave  problems  ever  in  his  mind,  no  wonder 
"  The  lonely  One  "  frequented  the  old  heidu  at  hours 
when  all  others  were  asleep.  Kneeling  by  torchlight 
successively  to  every  gigantic  idol  in  the  temple,  the 
fearless  chief  nightly  sought  to  conjure  up  some  dark 
spirit,  good  or  evil,  from  whom  he  could  elicit  some 
guiding  precept. 

Sometimes  he  would  leave  his  bed  to  steal  into  the 
lonely  heidu  and  uncover  its  most  secret  sepulchres, 
caverned  beneath  the  stone  niches  where  stood  the  great 
idols  in  the  thirty-foot  wall.  Exhuming  the  long-buried 
bones  of  some  famous  war-chief,*  he  placed  them  upon 
one  of  the  three  altars,  and  invoked  the  war-ghost  of  him 
who  had  owned  them,  seeking  to  conjure  up  that  one  of 
the  dual  souls  which  lingered  about  the  dead  remains. 
How  his  heart  beat  and  his  eyes  gleamed,  as  he  watched 

*  The  long  bones  of  great  chiefs  were  tied  up  in  bundles,  wrapped 
in  black  tapa  cloth  and  decorated  with  red  or  yellow  feathers  accord- 
ing to  their  rank. 


I2O  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

in  the  darkness  for  dread  spirits  to  confront  him  in  an- 
swer to  his  summons  !  What  incentive  he  gained  from 
these  incantations  in  the  heidu,  the  forest  haunts,  or 
among  the  dreadful  catacombs  behind  the  water-falls,  we 
may  never  know.  But  these  midnight  visits  to  the  several 
ghoul-haunted  places  were  the  severest  tests  of  human 
courage  ;  and  they  served  well  to  prepare  the  fearless 
chief  for  the  more  fearful  experiences  that  awaited  him. 

The  time  had  now  come  when  Kamehameha  could  no 
longer  be  restrained  from  seeking  Pele  in  her  dread 
palace  of  fire.  To  a  Hawaiian  the  Hale-mau-mau — 
"  house  of  everlasting  fire  " — is  a  place  too  dreadful  for 
any  but  a  kahiina  to  think  of  approaching,  unless  to  lay 
their  dead  friends  by  the  crater  and  hasten  away  with 
fear.  To  intrude  upon  this  sacred  habitation  of  Pele  for 
an  interview  was  a  thing  unheard  of.  But  the  fear  of 
personal  danger  from  the  gods  was  far  from  his  thoughts. 
He  was  a  tabii  chief,  and  from  his  knowledge  of  the  tabil 
creed  was  far  above  the  low  superstitions  of  his  play- 
mates. By  his  mother's  advice  his  pilgrimage  should  be 
made  alone.  She  taught  him  that  the  gods  never  show 
themselves  to  the  multitude. 

Pele  had  promised  the  pious  priest-mother  to  receive 
her  boy,  if  he  should  be  found  worthy  ;  but  by  what  tests 
he  was  to  be  tried  in  her  fiery  realm  not  even  the  priestess 
could  tell.  Provided  with  a  heavy  tapa  to  shield  him 
against  the  night  cold  on  the  mountain,  a  pair  of  shark- 
skin sandals,  and  a  single  baked  kalo  root  slung  to  his 
spear  for  provision  in  a  place  where  no  food  but  wild 
berries  could  be  found,  the  brave  boy  parted  with  the 
household  and  sprang  into  his  canoe.  Only  his  much- 
loved  Pemilani  accompanied  him  to  bring  back  the  waa 
(canoe)  from  the  shore. 


The  Pilgrimage  to  Pele.  1 2 1 

At  the  river  mouth  a  thousand  friendly  people  were 
gathered  to  see  their  god-born  chief  depart  on  his  pil- 
grimage to  Pele.  Some  of  the  more  timid  chief-boys 
begged  their  loved  leader  not  to  go,  relating  well-founded 
stories  of  many  who  had  never  come  back.  Other  bolder 
chiefs  among  the  youthful  heroes  wrung  his  hand  with 
affection  ;  rubbing  noses  with  high  admiration  of  his 
courage,  and  offering  appreciative  sympathy. 

Sheltered  in  boat-houses  belonging  to  the  Mukini  there 
were  always  strong  double  canoes,  with  crews  attached 
to  each.  But  when  Kamehameha  had  made  his  choice, 
and  the  paddlers  had  launched  the  canoe  in  the  river,  a 
hundred  of  the  noblest  chief-boys  begged  him  to  choose 
his  crew  from  among  them,  and  to  let  them  paddle  him 
wherever  he  wished  to  go.  Fearing  to  offend  the  many 
by  such  a  choice  the  sagacious  chief  named  one  leader, 
and  bade  him  select  a  crew  of  twenty  paddlers.  This 
done  he  made  a  brief  address  to  all  ;  then  leapt  into  his 
canoe  and  ordered  his  young  nobles  to  dip  paddles  and 
away. 

Passing  through  the  surf  without  accident,  the  canoe 
skirted  the  shore  to  the  west,  seeking  the  most  available 
place  to  land  on  the  rock-bound  coast.  Laupahoehoe 
offered  a  passable  landing,  and  the  canoe  was  shot  into 
the  small  creek.  Bidding  good-bye  to  his  companions 
and  receiving  an  affectionate  aloha  from  all,  Kame- 
hameha watched  them  pass  safely  back  through  the  surf, 
and  then  took  his  way  upward  toward  the  mountain 
valley  of  Waimea,  across  which  lay  his  path  to  the  crater 
of  Kilauea. 

At  length  the  tired  boy  climbed  to  the  northern  foot- 
hills of  Mauna  Kea,  and  sat  down  on  the  green  slope  of 
the  mountain  in  ardent  contemplation  of  the  marvellous 


122  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

new  world  spread  out  at  his  feet.  To  the  eastward  lay 
the  Eden  lands  of  Waipio  and  Wiamanu,  ever  fresh  and 
fruitful,  three  thousand  feet  below  him,  in  strongest  con- 
trast to  the  barren  desolation  about  Kawaihae  Bay  on  the 
rainless  western  coast.  To  the  southward  lay  the  green 
rolling  valley  of  Waimea — a  high  plateau, — bounded  on 
the  east,  south,  and  west  by  gigantic  mountains.  The 
lofty  dome  of  Mauna  Loa  rose  heavenward  thirty  miles 
away  in  the  south,  its  two  gigantic  volcanoes  now  slum- 
bering in  brief  quiescence.  Still  farther  away  appeared 
the  blue  heights  of  Hualala,  while  towering  above  his 
head,  higher  than  both,  was  reared  the  stm-gilded  snow 
crest  of  Mauna  Kea,  the  loftiest  monarch  of  them  all. 

What  rapture  rilled  the  young  chief's  heart  as  he 
drank  in  the  scene  before  him  !  The  mountains  and 
the  boundless  blue  ocean  begirting  his  island  home  !  It 
was  probably  the  grandest  panoramic  view  in  all  the 
world.  There  is  an  unrivalled  grandeur,  an  almost  hu- 
man semblance  of  conscious  pride,  visible  in  Hawaii's 
lofty  mountains, — an  aspect  of  eternal  peace  and  majestic 
repose,  a  sublimity  only  vouchsafed  to  the  mountains  of 
the  gods.  Seen  against  the  enchanting  blue  of  the  up- 
per air,  thus  crowned  with  the  snows  of  ages,  the  vener- 
able mountains  look  grandly  down  over  the  green  land 
and  the  blue  Pacific,  gold-fringed  with  sunset  clouds, 
until  they  impress  the  beholder  with  a  sense  of  their 
spiritual  kinship  with  man. 

What  wonder  that  the  enthusiastic  boy's  young  soul 
was  filled  with  beauty,  as  when  the  golden  portals  open 
to  admit  the  blessed  ! 

Just  before  sunset  the  brilliant  arch  of  the  vast  rain- 
bow spanned  the  evening  sky.  Bisecting  the  sun-tinted 
snow  crown  of  Mauna  Ke"a,  its  northern  foot  rested  on 


His  First  Sunset.  123 

the  tree-clad  mountain  top  of  Kohala,  while  far  in  the 
south  it  touched  the  plain  of  Waimea  at  the  foot  of 
Mauna  Loa.* 

Time  passed  swiftly  as  the  Waimanu  boy  pondered 
over  the  picture.  At  length  the  gorgeous  spirits  of  a 
tropic  night  gathered  in  the  west  to  bid  farewell  to  the 
departing  sun.  It  was  the  first  true  sunset  Kamehameha 
had  ever  beheld,  for  from  the  deep  valley  where  he  was 
reared  the  mountain  shut  out  the  sun  in  mid-afternoon. 
And  now  for  the  first  time  he  saw  the  whole  west  arrayed 
in  its  glory.  Robed  in  chameleon  colors  of  purple, 
crimson,  and  gold,  the  scene  was  so  beautiful  that  he 
knelt  down  and  clasped  his  hands  in  fervent  prayer  to 
the  Deity — to  some  great  unknown  God  of  whom  he 
had  never  been  taught.  A  flush  of  awe  crept  over  him 
as  he  witnessed  the  final  parting  of  the  sun.  It  seemed 
as  if  he  were  spying  down  on  a  sacred  meeting  of 
spirits,  and  saw  them  change  their  festal  robes  to  funeral 
vestments,  as  the  dying  dolphin  doffs  his  gaudy  hues  and 
dons  the  purple  raiment  of  death. 

The  fires  of  sunset  were  hardly  dimmed  in  the  west 
before  the  full  moon  rose  resplendent  over  Kohala 
Point,  gilding  the  calm  waters  of  Kawaihae  Bay  until  it 
glimmered  like  a  mirror.  So  clear  was  the  twilight  air, 
so  cloudless  the  purple  hue  of  the  evening  sky,  that  the 
snow-capped  mountains  shone  like  silver  thrones  over 
the  tranquil  land.  Peaceful  were  the  thoughts  awakened 
by  the  ennobling  scene  in  the  reverent  chief-boy.  His 
ambitious  schemes  of  future  greatness  took  on  the  hue 
of  the  tranquil  night  and  the  hallowed  hour. 

*  Various  travellers  have  seen  this  remarkable  rainbow  spanning 
Ke'a  at  sunset,  a  reflection  cast  up  from  the  glassy  waters  of  Kawai- 
hae Bay. 


124  Kam&am/ka  the  Great. 

How  long  the  young  Alii  mused  he  knew  not.  Sud- 
denly the  low  rumble  of  an  earthquake  was  heard  rever- 
berating in  the  distance.  The  whole  island  rocked 
until  trees  swayed  and  fell,  cliffs  loosened  and  rolled 
valley-ward  with  a  sullen  thunder.  A  strange  illumina- 
tion now  burst  upon  the  night  and  flung  its  angry  glare 
athwart  the  sky.  Preluded  by  the  earthquake,  Loa  had 
rent  his  rocky  mountain  top,  and  was  now  hurling  his  red 
fountain  a  thousand  feet  above  the  snowy  dome. 

Flickering  and  flaring  against  the  shimmering  gloom 
of  moonlight,  the  red  lava  glare  shone  far  out  over  the 
ocean,  two  hundred  miles  toward  every  point  of  the 
compass,  and  lighting  the  quivering  landscape  as  by  a 
sudden  sunburst.  And  soon  the  fountain  stream  of  lava 
could  be  seen  rushing  headlong  across  the  white  snow  line 
and  down  the  rocky  declivity  in  the  direction  of  Hilo, 
fast  broadening  into  a  wide  river  of  fire  which  engulfed 
every  thing  beneath  it.  Awakened  by  the  earthquake, 
ten  thousand  people  came  forth  from  the  villages  of 
Kohala  to  gaze  upon  the  eruption  ;  the  dismal  wail  of 
their  voices  came  creeping  up  the  mountain  like  the  roar 
of  breakers  from  an  angry  sea. 

Before  the  eruption  had  disturbed  his  quiet  reflections, 
Kamehameha  had  watched  the  rising  moon  glinting 
softly  down  the  Upolu  Sea,  driving  the  shadows  away 
from  the  western  shore,  and  turning  the  spirit-peopled 
night  into  a  softer  day.  Absorbed  in  the  tranquil  scene 
before  him,  his  young  heart  was  prompted  to  seek  great- 
ness only  through  humanity  to  his  fellow-man. 

But  alas  !  what  a  change  now  came  over  the  boy;  as 
he  watched  the  furious  flash  of  Pele's  red  scimitar  in  the 
evening  sky  !  He  saw  the  gory  stroke  of  the  volcanic 
fire  gash  through  the  placid  waters  of  Kawaihae  Bay, 


Rousing  the  L  ion.  125 

and  smite  the  night  gloom  far  out  over  the  ocean,  and  it 
roused  a  new-born  lion  in  the  chief-boy's  heart, — a  ruthless 
demon  which  evermore  possessed  his  soul.  In  an  instant 
the  vaunting  ambition  of  the  young  hero  overleaped  all 
barriers  to  a  throne.  The  calm,  ennobling  influence  of 
the  tropic  night  was  gone  ;  gone  were  his  pensive  mu- 
sings on  human  greatness  won  through  human  goodness. 
Forever  gone  were  all  the  schemes  of  the  hour  before, 
when  the  moon  and  the  star-flecked  sky  imbued  his 
young  soul  with  peace  and  good-will. 

Never  again  from  that  terrible  moment  did  Kame- 
hameha's  fierce  ambition  cease  to  lure  him  on  to  achieve 
the  utmost  greatness  in  the  compass  of  his  island  world. 
In  that  hour  of  Loa's  volcanic  fury,  the  fearless  boy  con- 
ceived his  first  idea  of  approaching  Pele  in  her  loftiest 
abode  of  fiery  splendor,  the  summit  crater  of  Moku-a- 
weo-weo*  an  abyss  over  which  the  foot  of  mortal  had 
never  stood,  scorning  the  dreadful  legend  :  "  Whoever 
approaches  the  summit  craters  shall  be  turned  to  stone  !  " 

He  was  thus  prompted  to  give  up  his  intended  visit  to 
Kilauea,  Pele's  usual  abode,  by  the  current  belief  that 
the  goddess  could  only  be  found  where  the  volcanic 
action  was  the  most  furious.  There  he  would  climb  to 
confront  her,  that  she  might  either  prompt  or  condemn 
his  schemes  of  greatness. 

From  that  weird  hour,  for  Kamehameha  to  conceive  a 
plan  of  action,  was  but  brief  prelude  to  some  bold  act  of 
accomplishment.  Without  even  waiting  for  daylight,  the 
chief-boy  now  sought  the  wild  trail  across  Waimea  that 
led  toward  Mauna  Loa.  He  vowed  to  abide  there  un- 
til he  could  win  full  recognition  from  Pele  in  exchange 
for  a  lifetime  of  fealty  to  her  shrine. 

*  "A  red  gash  in  the  mountain." 


XV. 

KAMEHAM£HA'S  PILGRIMAGE  TO  THE  GODS. 

GUIDED  by  the  strong  light  from  the  pillar  of  fire, 
and  by  the  shimmer  from  the  blood-red  stream 
which  glowed  against  the  sky,  the  tireless  boy  pressed 
forward  through  the  long  night  hours,  his  young  heart 
aglow  with  the  unearthly  scene  and  with  the  daring  pur- 
pose that  had  aroused  his  soul.  The  footpath  he  fol- 
lowed led  southward  toward  the  district  of  Kau,  winding 
along  among  rank  grass  and  occasional  clusters  of  ohia 
trees,  from  which  he  quenched  his  thirst  with  the  juicy 
apples  as  he  tramped  along. 

Kamehame"ha  approached  the  river  of  fire  toward  dawn. 
While  yet  miles  away,  he  heard  thunder-peals  like  the  dis- 
charge of  artillery,  and  furious  explosions  that  shook  the 
earth.  These  detonations  increased  as  he  neared  the  scene 
of  action,  until  at  length  he  came  to  the  borders  of  the  swift- 
rushing  lava  flow.  Climbing  to  a  rocky  hillock  two  hun- 
dred yards  away,  as  near  as  the  terrific  heat  would  permit 
him  to  approach,  Kamehameha  sat  dazed  with  wonder 
and  awe  as  he  watched  the  seething  river  rush  down  the 
mountain,  melting  every  thing  before  it  as  it  swept  over 
the  old  lava  beds.  Sometimes  a  lateral  stream  of  molten 
lava  followed  an  underground  fissure  until  it  struck 
some  obstruction,  when  a  singular  phenomenon  would 
take  place.  The  pent-up  current  slowly  lifted  the  earth- 
crust  above,  until  at  length  the  imprisoned  lava  and 

126 


Appalling  Scenes.  127 

gases  would  explode  with  loud  detonations,  tearing  the 
ground  to  pieces  with  the  throes  of  an  earthquake  as  the 
red  current  burst  forth. 

Just  in  front  of  the  boy  the  lava  had  come  to  a  high 
mass  of  rocks  and  trees,  around  which  it  divided  and  ran 
on  either  hand,  joining  again  below  the  mound  of  trees. 
As  he  watched  the  grass,  shrubs,  and  trees  take  fire,  he 
saw  the  rocky  border  begin  slowly  to  melt  and  sink,  until 
the  flame-encompassed  island,  its  rocky  foundations  com- 
pletely fused,  suddenly  gave  way  and  floated  down  the 
crimson  river,  tossing  like  a  light-ship  on  a  stormy  sea. 

But  a  greater  surprise  was  in  store  for  him.  The  ledge 
of  lava  rock  on  which  he  sat  continued  to  tremble  and 
quiver  with  the  vibration  of  the  roaring  flood.  Suddenly 
he  felt  a  motion  beneath  him  ;  but  spurning  the  thought 
of  danger  he  kept  his  seat.  Presently  the  rocks  moved 
more  perceptibly  under  his  feet,  groaning  and  grating 
as  if  disturbed  in  their  beds.  He  stood  up,  and  found 
himself  reeling  and  rocking  as  if  in  a  canoe.  The  trees 
swayed  and  bowed  as  if  about  to  fall.  Then  he  leaped 
down  the  declivity  and  ran  to  another  position  near  at 
hand,  still  half  ashamed  of  his  retreat.  A  moment  after 
the  rocky  hillock  rose,  swelled,  and  swayed  ;  then,  with 
a  roar,  a  jet  of  lava  burst  out  from  its  top.  It  gave  vent 
to  the  caverned  mass  below,  melting  the  rocks  and  set- 
ting the  trees  afire  ;  and  soon  the  whole  ledge  fell  in  and 
the  grove  of  flaming  trees  floated  away  to  join  the  main 
stream  of  raging  lava.* 

Alert  to  avoid  a  danger  like  this  the  lad  again  plodded 
upward.  The  track  leading  to  Kau  now  diverged  to  the 
west,  and  compelled  Kamehameha  to  leave  it  and  to  take 

*See  descriptions  of  similar  scenes  in  "  Life  in  Hawaii,"  by  the 
Rev.  Titus  Coan,  pp.  76,  283. 


128  Kamtkamtha  the  Great. 

his  course  into  a  completely  unknown  wilderness.  He 
followed  the  cooled  beds  of  ancient  lava  flows,  and 
wherever  the  nature  of  the  ground  permitted,  walking  on 
the  edges  of  the  streams.  The  jagged  lava  tore  his 
shark-skin  sandals.  In  the  belt  of  ancient  forest  through 
which  he  passed  charred  stumps  of  koa  trees  rose  every- 
where about  him,  the  record  of  ancient  eruptions.  Many 
large  trees  had  been  burnt  to  ashes,  leaving  deep  circular 
pits  in  the  lava,  traps  from  which  one  never  could  emerge 
if  he  should  fall  into  them.  Great  caution  was  needed  to 
avoid  this  danger. 

Much  of  the  old  lava  flow  which  had  burnt  through 
the  forest  of  koa,  ohia,  and  sandal  wood  trees  was  jfra/ioe- 
hoe,  or  "  satin  "  lava,  over  which  Kamehameha  found 
passable  walking.  At  times  he  came  upon  great  masses 
of  scoria  and  "clinkers,  too  jagged  and  sharp  to  walk 
upon,  the  so-called  a-a,  or  broken-glass  lava.  This  he 
had  to  flank  at  whatever  cost  of  travel.  At  times  deep 
fissures,  many  yards  wide,  drove  him  a  half  mile  or  more 
out  of  his  way.  After  passing  the  timber  belt  at  7,000 
feet,  only  stunted  koa  and  diminutive  ohia  trees  were 
found.  Straggling  tufts  of  coarse  grass  and  gray  lichens 
were  found  up  to  a  height  of  10,000  feet.  Here  the  real 
toil  of  the  ascent  began. 

Here  morning  dawned.  Before  the  tired  climber  rose 
the  vast  volcanic  dome  of  Loa,  sharp  and  clear  against 
the  crimson  sky.  How  long  he  had  watched  that  plu- 
tonic  mass  as  he  climbed,  rising  two  miles  above  him 
into  the  heavens  !  The  whole  vast  mountain  side  now 
opened  upon  him,  a  wild  waste  of  volcanic  rocks,  where 
every  species  of  lava  was  to  be  found,  from  the  hard, 
sharp  clinker-stone  to  the  frothy  pumice  that  crumbles 
beneath  the  feet. 


Among  the  Snow  Fields.  129 

For  miles  about  him  ancient  lava  streams  had  cooled 
into  hills,  hummocks,  terraces,  and  long,  undulating 
waves.  These  were  only  passable  by  avoiding  the  abrupt 
hillocks  and  bottomless  fissures.  In  places  the  previous 
flows  had  been  obstructed  or  spent  their  force,  cooling 
at  the  front  of  the  flow,  and  piling  up  into  vast  terraces 
that  could  not  be  scaled. 

The  observant  boy  soon  learned  that  the  path  to 
choose  was  where  some  swift  incandescent  flow  had  lev- 
elled its  way  through  the  congealed  mass  of  older  lava. 
The  caverns  and  crevasses  are  thus  filled  up,  "  evened 
off,"  and  made  passable  if  the  material  be  pahoehoe  or 
"  satin  "  lava  ;  while  if  it  be  a-a  or  scoria,  neither  man 
nor  beast  can  pass  over  it.  But  even  the  smoothest 
flows  of  the  most  favorable  kinds  of  lava  are  often  made 
impassable  by  countless  earthquake  rents,  mile-long  fis- 
sures, out  of  which  deathly  sulphurous  fumes  well  up 
from  the  seething  lava  deep  in  the  mountain. 

After  a  few  hours'  rest,  taken,  because  of  the  intense 
cold,  in  dangerous  proximity  to  the  lava  flow,  the  half- 
nude  chief  toiled  upward  and  onward  again.  His  face 
became  flushed  with  fever,  and  his  pulse  leaped  wildly 
from  the  violent  exertion  and  from  the  rarefaction  of  the 
air  at  the  height  he  had  attained.  Nothing  but  the  sul- 
phur fumes  and  the  clear  morning  breeze  prevented  his 
now  being  exhausted  by  the  usual  mountain  sickness 
experienced  by  all  travellers. 

When  he  came  to  the  snow  line,  at  12,000  feet,  he  sat 
down  upon  it  to  ponder  over  the  marvellous  substance. 
All  his  life  long  he  had  lived  in  sight  of  snow  on  Kea's 
crest  ;  but  he  had  never  touched  it,  for  few  dared  to 
bring  down  the  god-born  element.  Tasting  it  cautiously, 
he  soon  found  that  its  singular  coldness  tempered  his 


130  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

fever  and  allayed  his  thirst.  He  pressed  his  hot  fore- 
head upon  it  ;  then,  growing  cold  from  lying  upon  the 
new-fallen  snow,  he  approached  near  to  the  lava  stream. 
To  his  surprise  he  found  that  the  frozen  substance  was 
melting  into  water,  and  flowed  spluttering  and  steaming 
into  the  fiery  river.  He  was  delighted  to  learn  that  snow 
was  frozen  water. 

After  quenching  his  thirst  he  set  himself  to  his  task 
again.  The  cold  increased  so  fast  that  but  for  the 
warmth  of  the  flowing  lava  he  must  have  frozen  upon 
the  mountain  side.  Yet  on  he  climbed  with  a  hero's 
determination  to  attain  his  end — unless  he  should  be  con- 
gealed to  stone  as  the  legend  had  warned  him.  The 
legend  was  now  solved.  It  was  the  cold  that  made  the 
stone  image,  but  he  had  discovered  that  fire  was  stronger 
than  cold,  for  he  had  seen  it  melt  both  rocks  and  snow. 
The  keen-witted  boy  rejoiced  in  his  growing  wisdom. 

As  he  struggled  up  into  still  higher  altitudes,  new  emo- 
tions suddenly  awakened  in  his  soul.  The  panoramic 
view  of  the  great  world  widened  as  he  climbed.  How 
thrilling  were  his  sensations  as  he  looked  proudly  down 
upon  the  broadening  sweep  below  !  Is  it  not  this  sense 
of  expanding  vision  which  delights  the  half-freed  souls 
of  the  dying,  when  they  reach  back  the  farewell  hand- 
clasp to  their  weeping  ones,  while  expressions  of  raptur- 
ous anticipation  glow  in  their  faces,  as  if  they  were 
looking  back  to  us  from  a  heavenly  mountain  ? 

Approaching  at  last  the  summit  crater,  the  source  of 
the  lava  stream,  Kamehameha  beheld  a  scene  which 
appalled  him  to  look  upon.  A  hundred  yawning  fissures 
had  been  rent  in  the  rocky  mountain  side,  where  now 
the  vast  fountain  of  gold-tinted  lava*  hurled  itself  a 

*  The  color  of  the  eruptions,  when  they  first  break  from  the  higher 
aiountain,  is  golden,  not  red. 


Gold-  Tinted  Lava.  131 

thousand  feet  into  the  air.  The  jet  came  principally 
from  one  monstrous  fissure  a  mile  in  extent,  and  from 
one  to  five  hundred  feet  wide.  Rocky  hills  had  been 
split  asunder  and  rent  into  a  thousand  tattered  frag- 
ments. Fifty  acres  of  old  lava  crust  had  been  blown  off 
and  flung  thousands  of  feet  away.  Such  an  exhibition 
of  titanic  force  filled  the  young  mind  with  horror.  If 
such  were  the  terrific  force  and  fury  of  upheaving  fusion 
at  the  very  top  of  a  mountain  three  miles  above  the  sea, 
and  whose  base  could  not  be  less  than  three  miles  below 
its  level,  who  could  imagine  the  terrible  dynamics  of  the 
subterranean  laboratory  six  miles  down  beneath  the 
mountain  top  ? 

At  length  the  heroic  chief-boy  stood  on  the  snow-clad 
summit  of  Loa.  Human  foot  had  never  before  trodden 
this  solitude.  Before  him  stretched  a  lava  plain  of  sixty 
miles  in  area.  Looking  back  in  the  direction  from  which 
he  had  come,  he  was  surprised  to  see  that  dense  fleecy 
clouds  had  gathered  a  mile  below,  shutting  out  every 
visible  thing  except  the  kindred  snow  peaks  of  Mauna 
Kea  in  the  north.  The  red  lava  stream  ran  down  the 
declivity,  disappearing  under  the  cloud,  which  glowed 
above  the  fire  river  with  the  blood-red  hues  of  a  stormy 
sunset. 

Though  the  ancient  crater  which  he  sought  could  not 
be  far  away,  yet  he  could  not  see  a  vestige  of  steam  or 
smoke  to  mark  its  position.  Only  a  roaring  as  of  dis- 
tant breakers  and  the  low  rumble  of  muffled  thunder 
could  guide  him  to  the  abode  of  Pele.  But  that  abode 
must  be  found,  for  his  mission  was  solely  with  the  goddess 
he  adored. 

Resting  his  weary  limbs  for  an  hour  before  quitting 
the  life-giving  warmth  of  the  lava-flow,  the  resolute  boy 


132  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

hurried  on  in  the  direction  of  the  crater.  It  was  indi- 
cated by  the  furious  detonations  that  now  shook  the 
mountain,  as  if  the  hour  of  final  destruction  had  come. 
The  sun,  at  this  elevation,  bereft  of  both  warmth  and 
brightness,  now  hung  a  lurid  red  ball  just  above  the  rim 
of  the  mountain  plain,  casting  a  human  look  upon  the 
lonely  boy.  He  thought  it  lingered  until  he  should  have 
time  to  find  the  crater. 

Following  hastily  along  a  wide  fissure,  filled  to  the 
brim  with  frozen  snow,  Kamehameha  suddenly  came  to 
the  brink  of  the  abyss  of  Moku-a-weo-weo,  a  gulf  sunk  a 
thousand  feet  below  the  plateau  of  the  mountain  sum- 
mit. Falling  upon  his  knees  with  a  sense  of  utmost 
humility,  the  reverent  boy  called  aloud  upon  Pele  as  a 
child  calls  for  his  devoted  parent  in  times  of  peril.  His 
young  soul  was  filled  with  horror  at  the  scene  he  beheld. 

As  the  boy  pleaded  for  the  goddess  to  come  forth  at 
his  call,  the  darkening  sky  above  the  crater  brightened 
as  if  it  were  on  fire.  Fifty  volcanic  flames  and  crimson 
lava  jets  burst  forth  from  as  many  huge  vent  cones  of 
the  fiery  lake  in  the  crater  below.  Night  was  rapidly 
approaching.  The  crater  was  visible  stretching  miles 
away  toward  the  south,  and  disappearing  among  sulphur- 
ous vapors.  There  was  but  little  ebullition  in  the  burn- 
ing lake,  except  an  occasional  lava  jet  of  from  one  to 
three  hundred  feet  high,  which  caused  much  rocking 
and  rumbling.  The  general  level  of  the  crater  fires 
remained  equal,  a  constantly  sufficient  supply  for  the 
fountain  below. 

The  friendly  face  of  the  sun  was  gone.  The  young 
chief  was  alone  in  a  frightful  solitude  ;  he  felt  a  measure 
of  loneliness  which  has  no  name.  The  glare  of  the  two 
volcano  fires  bade  defiance  to  night  and  made  a  brighter 


A  Night  by  the  Crater.  133 

radiance  than  the  sun-lit  day.  Patches  of  snow  and  ice 
were  everywhere  about  him,  piled  in  the  lava  fissures,  or 
lying  in  isolated  drifts  over  all  the  black  lava  plain  ;  but 
the  heat  from  the  crater  before  him  and  the  lava  jet 
behind  imparted  all-sufficient  warmth  for  the  nude  boy, 
who  otherwise  would  have  frozen  to  death  in  a  few 
hours. 

Not  a  moment's  sleep  came  to  him  throughout  that 
terrible  night.  He  lay  in  a  lava  crevasse,  with  only  the 
moon  for  a  companion  ;  half  deafened  by  the  rumble 
and  roar  and  sharp  detonations  surging  up  from  the 
crater,  the  thundering  crash  of  the  lava  behind  him,  and 
the  vibrating  effect  of  the  falling  masses  as  of  a  thousand 
gigantic  water-falls.  Aside  from  the  supernatural  terrors 
of  the  place,  this  pandemonium  of  noises  was  enough  to 
craze  an  older  brain. 

Sometimes  hideous  black  objects  rose  up  in  groups  on 
the  incandescent  surface  of  the  lake.  By  their  groans 
and  shrieks,  and  by  other  dismal  noises,  the  observant 
boy  believed  that  monsters  from  the  fiery  depths  were 
sent  to  frighten  him  away  from  the  rocky  battlement. 
But  though  he  called  to  them  aloud  that  his  mission  was 
to  the  goddess,  or  to  whomsoever  she  would  send, 
whether  demon  or  fire-god,  from  the  crater,  no  voice 
came  back  in  reply.  Only  mocking  leers  and  demoniacal 
laughter  assailed  his  ear.* 

Having  eaten  his  last  mouthful  of  kalo,  and  failing  to 

*  Science  disputes  the  supernatural  visions  of  the  days  of  which  we 
write.  Other  visitors,  in  later  years,  see  these  same  black  demons 
appear  on  the  lake  surface  during  the  night,  disappearing  and  coming 
again  and  again.  They  tell  us  that  the  cooled  lava  crust  congeals  in 
small  patches  for  a  moment,  melting  again  with  the  next  influx  of 
hot  lava  which  comes  with  dismal  noises.  Let  those  who  wish  take 
this  version  of  the  case  ;  the  scenes  we  describe  are  truthful. 


134  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

call  up  Pele  or  any  spirit  of  the  desolate  place,  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  hasten  his  return  down  the  moun- 
tain while  yet  strength  remained  to  him.  As  he  walked 
gloomily  back  to  the  lateral  crater  on  the  mountain  side, 
the  friendly  moon  appeared  from  the  clouds.  Yellow  as 
the  goldent  tint  of  sunset  rose  the  vast  lava  jet  as  he 
approached  it ;  wholly  unlike  the  blood-red  color  of  the 
river  of  fire  seen  far  down  in  the  valley  below.  Higher 
and  higher  leaped  the  fountain  of  molten  gold,  as  if  it 
were  the  melted  bullion  of  the  whole  financial  world  dis- 
playing its  incandescent  beauty  to  the  mountain  gods, 
and  careless  of  being  seen  by  watchful  human  eyes. 

Next  to  the  blinding  glory  awaiting  us  about  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  God,  such  terrific  outbursts  from  the  fiery 
laboratory  of  earth  must  ever  remain  the  most  beautiful 
and  awe-inspiring  scenes  known  to  mortal.  Solitude 
and  desolation  are  dismal  companions  ;  but  one  who  can 
master  his  fears  among  such  elements  of  grandeur  and 
beauty  may  become  so  utterly  oblivious  of  all  else,  so 
unconscious  of  his  own  existence  in  the  flesh,  that  it  may 
seem  to  him  at  length  as  if  all  the  world  had  been 
destroyed  by  fire,  and  that  he,  alone  of  all  created  things, 
is  left  to  see  the  charred  remains  and  tread  upon  the 
embers  of  earth's  destruction. 

Something  of  this  thought  filled  the  chief's  mind  as  he 
reached  the  edge  of  the  summit  on  the  side  of  the  lava 
flow  opposite  to  that  by  which  he  had  come  on  the  prev- 
ious day.  The  white  clouds  had  dispersed  from  the  valley, 
and  the  whole  fire-lighted  land  lay  clearly  visible  below 
him.  The  flow  had  struck  the  foot-hills  of  Mauna  Kea, 
and  branched  to  the  right  and  left ;  one  stream  running 
toward  Hilo,  the  other  flowing  across  Waimea  Valley  to 
the  west.  —  - 


Ground  Lightnings.  135 

Looking  in  the  direction  of  Puna,  Kamehameha  could 
distinguish  the  red  gleam  of  Kilauea  to  the  southeast, 
sixteen  miles  away.  Rejoiced  to  see  the  course  he  must 
take  to  reach  Pele's  usual  place  of  abode,  a  yet  more 
important  question  arose.  Would  the  increasing  cold 
permit  of  his  descending  the  mountain  by  any  other 
route  than  that  of  the  lava  flow  ?  He  must  await  the 
dawn  to  decide. 

Morning  dawned  cold  and  clear  upon  the  lonely  boy, — 
too  cold  for  him  to  venture  far  away  from  the  warmth  of 
the  lava  into  an  unknown  wilderness.  Without  food  or 
raiment,  excepting  a  light  tapa  mantle,  to  be  long  de- 
tained upon  the  mountain  would  be  to  die  of  hunger  and 
cold.  Thus  his  downward  course  must  be  determined 
by  the  lava  flow. 

Following  along  the  south  bank  of  the  rushing  stream 
of  liquid  fire,  where  it  coursed  its  rapid  way  down  the 
steep  declivity,  Kamehameha  passed  the  snow  region 
easily  in  an  hour.  Beyond  tfie  limit  of  snow  the  pathless 
way  was  rough  and  toilsome  down  to  the  upper  belt  of 
forest,  where  the  cold  became  less  intense,  and  the 
stunted  trees  and  hardy  grasses  once  more  gladdened  his 
eyes.  Plucking  some  of  the  coarse  grass  from  the  thin 
soil,  Kamehameha  devoured  the  bitter  roots,  hoping  to 
allay  the  gnawings  and  sickening  sensations  of  hunger. 

While  thus  employed  his  ear  was  suddenly  invaded  by 
the  furious  crash  of  approaching  thunder.  Though  he 
was  yet  at  an  altitude  of  two  miles,  a  dense  dark  cloud 
was  settling  down  over  Waimea  Valley  and  rolling  on  up 
the  mountain  above  him.  The  pent-up  clouds  crept 
along  the  ground  about  him,  heavy  with  blackness,  and 
gleaming  with  electric  fire.  The  full-charged  mists  crept 
up  the  mountain,  ablaze  with  lightning.  Hundreds  of  great 


136  Kamtkamtha  the  Great. 

forest  trees  were  cut  down,  and  others  burned  like  torch- 
lights for  miles  about  the  wondering  chief.  He  had  seen 
many  a  thunder-storm  above  his  native  valley  ;  but  here 
was  one  which  left  the  heavens  and  played  upon  the 
ground.  The  lava  rocks  were  ploughed  up,  and  the 
crash  of  falling  trees  was  appalling  to  his  ear.  The  rain 
fell  in  torrents  for  an  hour.* 

As  he  sat  there  in  a  clump  of  ohia  shrubs,  within  reach 
of  the  friendly  warmth  of  the  hot  lava,  which  hissed  past 
in  the  rain,  suddenly  an  outburst  took  place  in  a  cluster 
of  stunted  trees  close  at  hand.  A  graceful  lava  fountain 
rose  twenty  feet  above  the  tree  tops,  falling  about  on 
every  side  of  the  scanty  foliage  of  the  hardy  trees.  Not 
a  drop  of  lava  flowed  away  ;  but  cooling  where  it  fell,  it 
slowly  built  up  a  wall  of  red  lava  about  the  trees,  without 
burning  a  leaf  or  a  twig  on  the  mountain  shrubs. 

Watching  with  interest  to  see  the  molten  fluid  thus 
build  up  a  lava  tower,  Kamehameha's  superstitions  were 
not  fairly  aroused  until  he  noticed  that  the  ohia  trees 
were  not  burnt  either  by  the  yellow  lava  rising  from 
among  them,  or  by  the  red-hot  wall  that  girdled  them 
about.  Still  .the  fountain  played,  and  the  red  lava  walls 
rose  into  the  air  and  covered  the  trees,  closing  gradually 
in  about  the  fountain  top,  until  the  golden  lava  jet  could 
barely  be  seen  above  the  crimson  tower. 

Just  then  the  figure  of  a  fair  woman  rose  up  on  the 
crest  of  the  fountain,  and  looked  down  with  soft  blue 
eyes  on  the  wondering  boy  below.  Hair  of  the  yellowest 
gold  fell  gracefully  about  her  white  arms  and  alabaster 
shoulders,  a  color  so  blended  with  the  orange  hue  of  the 
fountain  that  one  was  lost  in  the  other.  It  was  Pele  ! 

*  See  the  Rev.  Titus  Coan's  "  Life  in  Hawaii  "  (p.  272)  for  a  de- 
scription of  a  similar  thunder-storm,  at  an  elevation  of  8,000  feet. 


Vision  of  God.  137 

She  spoke  to  the  astonished  chief-boy.  He  fell  upon 
his  knees  and  laid  bare  his  heart  to  the  beautiful  goddess 
who  had  thus  come  to  acknowledge  his  adoring  love. 

And  she  suffered  this  strange  boy  to  gaze  upon  her 
celestial  beauty  at  his  will  without  blinding  his  vision  by 
her  glory.  She  bent  with  tender  solicitude  above  the 
god-born  chief  ;  her  beneficent  smile  warmed  the  very 
rocks  about  him.  Kamehameha  soon  grew  calm  and 
collected  as  the  greatness  of  the  occasion  dawned  fully 
upon  him.  Yet  his  fluent  tongue  grew  dumb  when  he 
became  assured  that  this  was  indeed  the  august  deity 
whom  he  had  come  to  invoke. 

But  there  is  ever  an  aggressive  quality  in  man's  ambi- 
tion which  fails  not  to  exalt  him  to  the  pinnacle  of  god- 
head. Thus  when  Pele  repeated  her  question  : 

"  Why  comes  my  young  hero  in  quest  of  his  god  ?  " — 
he  reverently  replied  : 

"  Is  the  son  of  Wailele  known  to  the  gods  ?  " 

"  It  is  recorded  in  tablets  of  fire  that  my  Kahtina  of 
Mukini  is  mother  of  the  mightiest  of  men." 

"  If  one  worship  Pele  for  life,  will  it  not  prosper  his 
ambitious  schemes  for  greatness  ? " 

"  Whoever  makes  much  sacrifice  to  Pele  shall  win  in 
battle,  though  he  worship  in  fear  and  trembling.  But 
whoso  immolates  offerings  upon  my  altar  because  of  great 
love  for  Pele,  he  shall  not  die  by  the  hand  of  man." 

"Is  the  wisdom  of  Wailele  inspired  by  the  gods  ?" 

"Wailele  is  the  wisest  and  best  of  my  worshippers. 
Only  for  one  hour  in  her  priesthood  has  the  noble  wa- 
hine  been  won  to  desert  my  shrine  for  another.  Caught 
in  the  mystic  arms  of  Luna  at  midnight,  her  oblations 
were  once  forgotten,  and  the  fires  burnt  low  on  her  altar 
in  the  time  of  sacrifice.  But  as  the  mountain  stream  is 


138  Kante'hame'ha  the  Great. 

purified  by  the  attrition  of  rocks  and  water-falls,  so  the 
worship  of  deity  grows  stronger  in  the  heart  of  woman 
by  the  vehemence  of  her  love  for  a  mortal." 

Not  comprehending  the  figurative  meaning  of  Pele's 
oracular  reply,  Kamehameha  continued  : 

"  Beautiful  deity  !  Is  your  god-son  designed  for  priest 
of  Mukini,  or  to  rank  among  the  rulers  of  his  country,  to 
which  he  aspires  ?  " 

"  One  New  Year's  Day,  when  the  people  gathered  to 
worship  at  Mukini,  there  came  the  wail  of  a  baby-boy 
from  the  sacred  anu.  It  was  Pele  who  willed  the  birth 
of  the  hero  in  that  hour  ;  and  because  of  the  holy  birth 
of  the  Alii  he  is  loved  of  the  gods,  and  was  born  to 
supreme  rule  over  the  destinies  of  men." 

How  long  he  would  have  importuned  the  Goddess  we 
know  not,  had  not  his  tongue  been  suddenly  struck 
dumb,  and  his  keen  eyes  blinded  by  the  sudden  brilliance 
before  him.  The  wind  waved  the  golden  tresses  of  the 
deity,  and  the  whole  mountain  side  seemed  ablaze  as 
with  vivid  lightning.  The  fountain  sprang  higher  and 
higher,  until  the  red  tower  built  itself  up  and  closed 
over  the  divine  form  of  the  Goddess.  The  fountain  dis- 
appeared. Then  suddenly  the  tower  of  hot  lava  ex- 
ploded with  a  tremendous  crash  and  was  seen  no  more. 

When  the  blinding  light  had  passed  away,  the  clump 
of  ohias  where  the  tower  had  stood  was  green  and  beau- 
tiful again,  untouched  by  the  fiery  lava  ;  buds  and  blos- 
soms and  ripened  fruit  hung  plentiful  on  the  trees, 
inviting  the  starving  chief  to  quench  his  thirst  and 
allay  his  hunger. 

Though  the  beautiful  face  of  deity  was  gone,  it  still 
seemed  present  to  the  ardent  boy,  beaming  down  upon 
him  from  the  fire-fountain  as  tenderly  as  a  human 


Descending  the  Mountain.  139 

mother.  A  delicious  vision,  one  that  could  never  be 
snatched  from  his  gaze,  had  been  vouchsafed  him.  It 
would  live  in  his  heart  a  whole  life  long.  The  musical 
voice  of  Pele  still  rang  in  his  ear,  lingering  like  a  soft 
bewildering  strain  of  music  in  his  soul.  He  was  like 
one  who  had  dreamed  of  a  choir  of  angels,  and  awakes 
amazed  and  bewildered  with  the  miraculous  vision  that 
has  passed  away.  And  the  words  of  the  Goddess  would 
serve  as  a  rallying  cry  in  many  a  dark  hour  of  his  tem- 
pestuous life  ;  "  Because  of  the  holy  birth  of  the  Alii 
he  is  loved  of  the  gods,  and  shall  rule  supreme  over  the 
destinies  of  men  !  " 

It  was  hours  before  Kamehameha  could  bring  himself 
to  think  of  his  situation,  and  the  danger  of  remaining 
longer  upon  the  mountain.  Toiling  down  through  miles 
of  dead  leaves,  with  painful  foot  travel,  he  came  at 
length  to  the  level  piain,  where  the  lava  flow  ran  slowly 
and  broadened  out  into  a  fiery  lake.  The  surface  lava 
cooled,  bridging  over  the  flood  with  a  black  shining 
crust,  until  it  ran  as  through  a  vast  tunnel  constructed 
out  of  its  own  materials. 

When  this  tunnelled  lava  flow  struck  the  foot-hills  of 
Mauna  Kea  its  progress  was  checked  for  some  hours, 
during  which  time  it  dammed  itself  up  thirty  feet  high 
along  a  front  of  fifteen  miles.  When  at  length  the  fiery 
fusion  burst  through  the  black  crust  it  flowed  to  the 
south  and  west  in  two  lateral  streams  ;  this  compelled 
Kamehameha  to  double  around  the  lava  flow  to  the 
south  of  Mauna  Kea,  and  to  take  the  homeward  path 
along  the  east  side  of  the  mountain.  Having  seen  Pele, 
there  was  now  no  necessity  of  going  to  Kilauea. 

A  few  hours  after  he  had  left  the  slow-moving  lava,  he 
came  to  a  hamlet  of  hospitable  natives,  who,  learning 


140  Kam/hamtka  the  Great. 

that  he  was  the  god-born  chief  of  Mukini,  pressed  him 
to  tarry  a  few  days,  and  feast  upon  their  plenty,  and  rest 
after  his  dreadful  toil. 

When  he  again  renewed  his  journey  homeward,  re- 
freshed and  strong,  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  just  pride 
and  joyous  exultation  that  is  rarely  allotted  to  a  young 
mortal.  Knowing  the  exalted  destiny  which  awaited 
him,  there  was  henceforth  not  an  hour  in  which  his 
young  mind  was  not  planning  for  the  future  kingdom 
over  which  he  was  to  rule. 


XVI. 

THE    KING    AND    HIS    COURT    AT    WAIPIO. 

TIME  passes  rapidly  in  the  lives  of  historic  men. 
We  have  come  to  the  twenty-second  year  of 
Kalaniopuu's  reign,  about  1774,  when  the  exhaustive 
wars  with  the  Leeward  Islands  had  for  a  time  given  place 
to  a  precarious  peace  between  the  kings  of  Hawaii  and 
Maui.  This  peace,  as  often  happened  in  the  lands  of 
chivalry  two  centuries  earlier,  led  to  the  interchange  of 
civilities  and  friendly  jousts  among  the  arrogant  kings 
and  their  courtiers.  Nor  need  we  think  that  these  cour- 
tesies among  recent  enemies  were  extended  wholly  for 
the  purpose  of  spying  out  their  rivals'  resources.  They 
sprang  more  often  from  an  honest  curiosity  and  a  real 
admiration  of  the  recent  antagonist,  as  well  as  from  a 
wish  to  become  better  acquainted  with  those  whom  they 
had  met  in  valiant  combat,  or  against  whom  they  had 
practised  all  their  strategy. 

On  one  of  these  balmy  days  during  the  mid-reign  of 
Kalaniopuu,  Kahekili,  the  warlike  king  of  Maui,  unex- 
pectedly announced  his  wish  to  visit  his  royal  cousin 
and  brother-in-law  of  Hawaii.  Though  the  request  was 
made  with  all  courtesy,  yet  the  unlooked-for  event  caused 
a  ripple  of  anxiety  among  the  ruling  minds  ;  while  the 
greatest  delight  was  manifested  by  the  irresponsible  ones 
about  the  Hawaiian  court. 

Kiwalao,  the  young  prince  of  sixteen,  and  his  brother 
141 


142  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

Keotia,  were  out  on  the  high  pdli  which  fronts  the  wind- 
ward sea  to  the  north  of  Waipio,  when  they  descried  the 
sunlight  flashing  on  the  white  tapa  sail  of  a  large  canoe  in 
the  distant  northwest  toward  Maui.  But  the  boys  con- 
tinued to  practise  with  their  slings  and  bird-spears  upon 
the  clouds  of  sea-birds  swarming  up  the  cliff  from  the  sea 
below,  and  entirely  forgot  the  canoe,  so  absorbed  were 
they  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  sport ;  when  suddenly 
Keoiia  exclaimed,  with  consternation  upon  his  handsome 
young  face  :  * 

"  He  waapalua  nut  !     A  great  double  canoe  !  " 

"  Auwe  !  what  can  they  want  ?  "  asked  Kiwalao.  And 
well  might  the  lads  express  surprise  at  seeing  the  craft 
urged  on  by  forty  paddlers  and  a  press  of  sail  ;  for  in 
those  years  a  great  war  canoe  was  more  likely  to  come 
with  intent  of  mischief  than  with  messages  of  peace. 
The  royal  boys  were  now  alert  with  curiosity. 

"  Let  us  run  down  to  Waipio  and  tell  the  news,"  said 
Keoua,  full  of  boyish  trepidation. 

"  No  !  Go  you  to  the  king  and  report  what  we  have 
seen,"  said  Kiwalao,  assuming  his  usual  arrogant  tone, 
the  prerogative  of  an  heir  apparent  in  times  of  sudden 
danger.  "  I  '11  watch  here,  while  you  go  and  tell  the  moi 
that  there  are  sixty  Kanakas  in  the  great  waa.  Run, 
wikij  wiki ! — quick,  quick  !  "  And  away  went  the  fleet- 
footed  lad  to  the  valley  side  of  the /<///",  where,  selecting 
a  steep  grassy  incline,  he  secured  some  large  ki  leaves, 
upon  which  he  slid  down  into  the  valley  with  the  speed 
of  a  snow-sled. 

Kiwalao  sat  down  upon  the  cliff  and  nervously  watched 
the  approaching  canoe,  talking  aloud  to  himself  in  lan- 

*  One  of  Kalaniopuu's  two  sons  of  that  name,  by  Queen  Kaneka- 
polei  (wife  No.  5).  This  Keoua  became  renowned. 


The  Rebellious  Prince.  143 

guage  too  characteristic  not  to  be  recorded.  The  prince 
was  a  tall  slim  youth  of  sixteen  ;  a  nervous,  restless,  un- 
principled boy,  whose  dissolute  habits  were  a  poor  ex- 
ample for  the  chief-boys  of  Waipio  Valley.  Young  as  he 
was,  he  was  old  in  evil,  and  had  already  been  connected 
with  several  rebellious  plots  against  his  father,  while  the 
king  was  at  war  with  Maui.  And  it  was  even  believed 
that  he  had  conspired  against  Kalaniopuu's  life,  because 
of  some  justly  deserved  chastisement  that  the  king  had 
ordered  him. 

"  I  hope  it  is  another  message  proclaiming  war  with 
Maui,  as  there  is  not  much  chance  of  coming  to  my 
kingdom  in  times  of  peace.  I  wonder  what  Kahekili 
thinks  of  my  plan  of  his  joining  me  against  my  father. 
Perhaps  this  canoe  brings  me  word  from  Maui.  I  long 
to  be  king  !  But  who  knows  but  Kahekili  would  help 
me  to  secure  Hawaii,  and  then  keep  it  for  himself  ?  He 
is  really  too  treacherous  a  king  for  a  boy  like  me  to  deal 
with,  though  he  is  my  uncle."  * 

As  the  canoe  came  near  to  the  cliff,  after  surveying  its 
occupants  keenly,  Kiwalao  suddenly  sprang  up  with  an 
excited  exclamation  :  "  That 's  Alapai,  the  king's  half- 
brother  ;  Kahekili  must  be  sending  me  a  message  in  an- 
swer to  my  proposal  for  an  alliance.  I  must  away  and 
meet  Alapai  when  he  lands.  Auwe  !  who  knows  but 
that  this  Maui  chief  is  coming  to  inform  my  father  of  my 
plot  ?  I  think  Kalaniopuu  would  fling  me  from  the/d// 
if  he  knew  what  was  in  train." 

Keoiia  arrived  at  the  palace  in  time  to  arouse  a  strong 
body  of  chiefs,  who  were  quickly  ready  to  receive  the 
new-comers,  whatever  might  be  their  purpose.  Kiwalao 

*  The  prince's  mother,  Kalola,  Kalaniopuu's  chief  queen,  was  own 
sister  of  Kahekili,  King  of  Maui. 


144  Kamehame'ha  the  Great. 

remained  behind  long  enough  to  feel  sure  there  was  no 
warlike  intent,  and  then  followed  the  example  of  his 
half-brother.  He  slid  down  the  pdli,  and  was  on  the 
beach  in  time  to  meet  the  strangers  at  the  landing,  where 
he  assumed  the  honor  of  leading  Alapai,  the  chief  in 
command  of  the  canoe,  to  his  father. 

Kalaniopuu,  the  much-loved  king  of  the  great  island 
of  Hawaii,  lay  reclining  on  a  soft  divan  of  mats,  spread 
out  under  the  shade  of  beautiful  king-palms,  clustered 
about  the  palace  door.  He  had  just  come  from  his  river 
bath,  and  was  now  enjoying  the  grateful  lomi-lomi,  and 
receiving  his  customary  anointing  with  aromatic  oils. 
But  neither  by  look  nor  act  did  he  show  his  curiosity 
about  the  new-comers.  Keeaumoku,  the  leading  war 
chief,  had  quietly  ambushed  a  few  hundred  men  about 
the  palace  and  the  beach-landing,  in  case  of  need,  and 
now  came  back  and  stood  by  the  king's  side,  with  a  half 
score  of  other  noble  aliis,  anxiously  awaiting  the  coming 
of  the  commander  of  the  canoe  party. 

A  chief  of  gallant  bearing,  closely  followed  by  ten 
others  of  less  rank,  was  seen  approaching  the  palace 
under  the  guidance  of  Kiwalao.  .  Both  of  the  royal  chiefs 
kept  up  a  lively  conversation,  witty  if  not  wise,  to  judge 
from  the  laughter  and  friendly  gestures  of  the  two  and 
the  echoes  of  gayety  from  those  who  followed.  The 
party  stopped  respectfully  before  the  reclining  king,  who 
bowed  slightly  to  the  leading  chief  with  a  smile  of  cour- 
tesy that  softened  the  austerity  of  his  face.  Kiwalao 
stepped  forward  and  introduced  Alapai  of  Maui,  half 
brother  to  Kahekili,  the  king. 

Coming  at  once  to  the  message  of  state  which  had 
brought  him  to  Waipio,  after  the  greetings  and  alohas 
were  over,  Alapai  assumed  the  usual  oratorical  attitude 
of  all  chiefs  who  had  matter  of  importance  to  disclose. 


Message  from  Kahekili.  145 

"  Great  is  Kalaniopuu,  the  resistless  warrior  and  wise 
king  !  For  he  rules  over  the  mountain  land  of  Hawaii, 
the  land  of  Pele  and  her  palace  of  fire  ;  the  land  which 
climbs  so  high  that  its  tops  are  white  with  the  snow  dust 
of  the  upper  world.  Every  man  who  dares  approach  its 
dreadful  summits  is  turned  to  stone,*  standing  there  like 
an  idol  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Great  is  Kalaniopuu  !  " 

The  king  waved  his  hand  graciously  in  response,  while 
a  pleased  expression  came  to  his  venerable  face  at  the 
eloquent  words  of  Alapai.  Nodding  to  Naihe,  the  heredi- 
tary orator  of  Hawaii,  the  handsome  young  chief  came 
forward  to  reply. 

"  My  king  has  heard  the  pleasant  voice  of  Alapai,  the 
alii  wohi  (chief  next  the  king)  of  Kahekili,  who  rules 
over  the  fruitful  island  across  the  sea  ;  the  land  of  Ha-le- 
a-ka-la  ("  House  of  the  Sun  "),  whose  dreadful  crater  is 
larger  than  all  those  upon  Hawaii  ;  where  Pele  once  held 
her  fiery  court  until  the  dreadful  Moa-alii  (the  mighty 
sea-god)  drowned  out  her  fires  by  pouring  the  great 
ocean  into  Ha-le-a-ka-la"  To  which  Alapai  replied  : 

"  Kahekili — the  mighty  Thunderer  of  Maui — sends 
greeting  to  his  cousin  of  Hawaii,  with  whom  he  would 
rub  noses  and  drink  awa,  if  a  visit  would  give  pleasure 
to  Kalaniopuu."  This  was  said  with  a  graceful  bow  to 
the  king,  who  made  an  affirmative  sign  to  Naihe." 

"  It  is  well.  Request  the  warlike  Kahekili  to  come  to 
Waipio  at  his  pleasure.  The  sun  will  shine  brighter  over 
all  Hawaii  because  of  the  friendly  meeting  of  the  noble 
kings.  Bid  him  come,  for  my  king  is  impatient  to  greet 
him.  He  shall  be  feasted  on  ilio  poll,  fatted  by  our 

*  The  mountains  are  said  to  be  the  abode  of  the  gods,  and  tales  are 
told  of  Kanakas  being  turned  to  stone,  which  prevented  our  guides 
going  to  the  summit. — Ellis'  "  Hawaii,"  p.  383. 


146  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

wahines,  and  abundant  puaa  hea — sacred  hog — shall  be 
baked  for  one  hundred  warriors."  He  cunningly  put 
this  fixed  limit  to  the  number  lest  there  might  be  some 
treachery  beneath  the  pleasantry  of  the  royal  chief. 

This  ended  the  formal  greeting.  Alapai  was  now  invited 
forward  to  rub  noses  with  the  old  king  ;  and  his  followers 
proffered  the  same  affectionate  greeting  to  the  crowd  of 
chiefs.  All  gathered  merrily  about  the  monarch,  whose 
oiling  and  hair-dressing  having  been  completed,  now  sat 
half  reclining  upon  his  couch,  with  nothing  but  a  gayly 
colored  tapa  lightly  thrown  over  him. 

After  Alapai  had  partaken  oipoi  and  fish  to  his  content, 
he  again  greeted  the  venerable  old  king  and  chiefs  with 
Aloha  nut !  and  departed  on  his  homeward  way,  as  the 
trades  were  now  blowing  up  strong,  and  he  had  twenty 
miles  of  rough  passage  across  the  Upolu  Sea,  after  leav- 
ing the  surf -beaten  coast  of  Hawaii. 

As  Kahekili  was  the  dominant  mind  among  all  the  Lee- 
ward kings  who  ruled  over  seven  of  the  "  Eight  Isles,"  he 
was  entitled  to  the  best  reception  the  monarch  of  Hawaii 
could  give.  Thus  the  garden-land  of  Waipio  soon  be- 
came a  busy  scene  of  preparation  for  the  event. 

The  first  thing  of  importance  in  these  matters  of  state 
visits  was  to  notify  the  priests  and  prophets  of  the  heidu, 
in  order  that  the  kahilnas  may  sacrifice  to  the  gods  and 
learn  the  secret  motives  of  the  visit,  if  such  there  be  ; 
and  that  the  kaulas  (prophets)  should  propound  oracles 
sufficiently  significant  for  the  occasion. 

With  this  motive  in  view  Kanuha,  the  swiftest-footed 
courier  on  the  islands,*  was  dispatched  to  acquaint  sev- 
eral wise  old  kahtinas  of  the  coming  visit  ;  and  especially 

*  This  venerable  courier  was  living  in  1853,  then  116  years  old,  and 
could  clearly  remember  Alapai's  reign,  preceding  that  of  Kalaniopuu, 


The  Courier.  147 

was  he  charged  to  impress  Pepehi,  the  priest  of  Puukee- 
kee,  with  the  anxiety  of  Kalaniopuu  to  learn  the  real 
purpose  of  his  guest.  Peace,  indeed,  now  prevailed  ;  yet 
the  recent  battles  had  been  stubborn  and  bitter  contests, 
and  the  known  treachery  and  warlike  ambition  of  Kahe- 
kili  made  it  hard  to  believe  readily  that  his  coming  to 
Hawaii  was  wholly  for  friendly  purposes. 

While  the  courier  was  hastening  to  the  inland  temples, 
a  messenger  was  sent  by  sea  to  Waimanu  on  a  special 
mission  to  Mukini,  as  the  prescience  of  Wailele  was  held 
in  the  highest  esteem  on  all  such  occasions.  More  than 
this,  Kahekili  had  once  paid  his  addresses  to  the  beauti- 
fnl  Priestess,  and  it  was  thought  that  she  of  all  others 
could  best  interpret  his  designs. 

In  anticipation  of  the  coming  festivities,  great  joy  was 
exhibited  among  the  lesser  nobility  about  the  court. 
Not  having  the  cares  of  state  on  their  minds,  they 
were  wholly  given  to  the  pleasures  of  feasting,  love,  and 
fighting  ;  exercising  themselves  in  mimic  battles  when 
they  could  not  be  indulged  in  the  real  combats  that  they 
loved. 

But  among  the  kandka  wdle,  or  commoners,  a  shadow 
of  fear  was  soon  observed  haunting  every  face.  Not  a 
poor  fellow  among  them  all  but  might  already  be  the  one 
secretly  chosen  for  immolation  on  this  momentous  occa- 
sion. Few  of  the  wahines  could  wholly  hide  their 
anxiety  for  the  loved  ones — husbands,  fathers,  lovers, 
sons — until  after  the  man-killers  from  the  heidus  had 
snatched  away  other  victims. 

This  terrible  state  of  things  arose  from  the  unlimited 
power  of  the  kahtina  in  his  office  of  tabti  priest.  A  hu- 
man sacrifice  is  demanded  on  some  sudden  exigency  like 
the  present,  and  the  priest  decides  irrevocably  who  the 


148  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

next  victims  on  his  dreadful  list  must  be.  The  office  of 
priesthood  was  hereditary,  and  the  power  of  a  kahuna,  or 
high-priest,  was  transmitted  equally  to  sons  or  daughters. 
Priestesses  were  sometimes  cruel  and  unrelenting  as  any 
priest.  And  not  even  the  king  could  prevent  the  kahuna 
from  making  choice  of  his  victim.  Since  Paao  exalted 
the  sacerdotal  order,  the  high-caste  priest  was  the  peer  of 
the  haughtiest  noble.  He  was  assigned  his  portion  of 
arable  land  in  the  estate  of  every  chief  in  his  district. 
And  woe  to  the  chief  who  withheld  from  the  kahuna  his 
rights  !  If  the  priest  could  not  sacrifice  the  chief  upon 
the  altar,  he  could  help  himself  to  his  favorite  followers 
until  the  supply  was  exhausted. 

The  power  of  the  kapu  alii  thus  cast  a  gloom  over 
every  class  of  society.  Woe  to  the  careless  or  defiant 
person  whose  sun-cast  shadow  fell  upon  a  kahuna  !  If 
the  priest's  victims  were  not  plenty  the  offender  must  be 
sacrificed  to  Pele  for  breaking  her  tabu. 

The  day  passed  ;  and  throughout  the  night  many  a 
wretch  was  dragged  from  his  terror-stricken  household. 
When  morning  again  dawned  over  the  upper  world,  and 
subsequently  illuminated  the  deep  valley,  the  peculiar 
bronze-colored  smoke  seen  curling  up  from  the  three 
altar-fires  of  Puukeekee,  and  also  rising  from  the  several 
smaller  heidus  of  Waipio,  told  all  eyes  that  the  victims 
had  been  slain  and  were  being  immolated  to  the  gods. 
Several  Waipio  natives  who  had  thought  to  escape  the 
kapu  kane  by  fleeing  to  the  mountains,  had  been  kid- 
napped by  the  dreadful  Pepehi  Kanaka,  and  their  bodies 
were  now  dissipating  in  sickening  smoke. 

Thus  the  second  day  was  a  dark  one  to  many  a  house- 
hold. The  second  night  gave  opportunity  for  the  con- 
cealed ones  to  come  stealthily  back  to  their  sorrowing 


Preparing  for  the  Feast.  149 

homes.  The  over-timid  ones,  and  most  of  the  kandkas  lack 
courage,  came  back  haggard  and  worn  as  by  a  year's  suf- 
fering. They  were  quite  unfitted  for  the  joys  anticipated 
by  those  whose  rank  exempted  them  from  the  kapu  kane. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  third  day  the  look-out  on  the 
pdli  sighted  an  approaching  fleet  of  canoes.  Word  was 
quickly  passed  down  to  Waipio  to  prepare  for  the  feast ; 
and  the  discordant  sounds  which  filled  the  next  hour 
could  be  better  referred  to  Pandemonium  than  to  the 
beautiful  valley  of  Waipio.  Dogs  barked,  hogs  squealed, 
and  fowls  cackled  in  their  accustomed  concert  on  a  feast 
day.  Tiny  fishing  canoes  put  out  with  noisy  haste  into 
the  river  and  the  private  fish  ponds. 

The  fires  of  the  ground-ovens  everywhere  blazed 
brightly,  heating  the  smooth  stones  for  the  baking. 
Great  heaps  of  ki  leaves  were  piled  about  the  fires  ;  these 
were  to  line  the  hollowed  earth  ovens  after  the  hot  stones 
had  been  duly  packed  within  them.  Breadfruit,  sweet 
potatoes  and  kalo  were  then  judiciously  interspersed 
with  parcels  of  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl ;  altogether  making 
the  most  delicious  "  field-bake  "  known  in  any  land. 

Such  was  the  work  of  preparation  amongst  the  male 
laborers  ;  females,  as  we  have  seen,  being  tabued  from 
touching  or  cooking  men's  food.  But  the  women  were 
also  busy  gathering  flowers  and  vines  with  which  to  con- 
struct wreaths  and  garlands,  not  only  for  themselves,  but 
for  every  notable  man  in  the  valley.  Thus  the  wahines 
were  as  joyous  and  songful  as  the  singing  bird  in  the 
flowering  hau  tree.  Some  went  to  the  woods  in  pairs  or 
groups  to  gather  the  gay  hibiscus  blossoms  for  lets,  and,, 
to  pluck  the  red  ohia  apples  for  the  guests,  the  ohia  not* 
being  prohibited.  But  the  delicious  banana  and  the 
nectar-filled  cocoa-nut  were  tabued  to  them  ;  these  the 
men  had  to  gather  and  spread  for  the  feast. 


XVII. 

THE    FEAST    OF    THE    KINGS. 

ABOUT  mid-day  the  royal  canoes  arrived  from 
Maui,*  bringing  a  company  of  kings  and  chiefs 
from  the  Leeward  Islands.  In  the  boat  with  Kahekili 
came  his  brother  Keao,  King  of  Kauai,  and  his  younger 
half-brother  Alapai,  the  alii  wohi  of  the  Maiii  court. 

In  the  next  canoe  sat  the  young  King  of  Molokai 
brother  of  the  King  of  Oahu.  Why  Kunakoa  came  in 
the  train  of  Kahekili,  his  natural  enemy,  none  could  tell, 
for  it  was  rumored  that  the  army  of  Maui  was  even  then 
organizing  to  attack  Oahu,  and  if  such  were  the  case 
Molokai  must  be  already  doomed. 

In  the  next  canoe  followed  Keliiaa  of  Lanai,  a  chief 
whose  kingdom  was  subordinate  to  Maui.  This  made 
four  royal  visitors,  together  with  Alapai  and  forty  other 
high  chiefs  ;  while  even  the  sixty  paddlers  were  warriors 
of  renown.  The  limit  named  by  Naihe,  in  his  invitation 
of  the  guests,  had  thus  been  exceeded  by  four.  This 
was  a  trifle  in  itself;  yet  the  discourtesy  was  just  suffi- 
cient to  show  the  arrogant  and  unruly  temper  of  the 
dominant  king  among  the  guests. 

One  after  another  of  the  great  war  canoes  dashed 
through  the  high  rolling  surf,  paddling  with  exceeding 

*  A  royal  canoe  is  red,  having  a  red  sail  and  a  red  pennon  flying 
at  the  peak. 

ISO 


Gathering  of  the  Kings.  1 5 1 

swiftness  up  to  the  landing  at  the  river  mouth.  There 
Kalaniopuu  and  a  hundred  of  his  choicest  warriers  were 
gathered  to  receive  the  guests. 

Among  the  historical  characters  who  were  present  with 
the  Hawaiian  king  was  Keeaumoku,  the  kiaimoku  of  the 
island,*  and  father  of  the  princess  Kaahumanu,  who  af- 
terwards became  the  most  noted  woman  of  Polynesia. 
Keeaumoku  was  the  most  gigantic  warrior  among  the 
islands,  a  chief  of  such  prowess  that  few  men  could 
stand  before  him,  in  single  combat,  for  a  moment.  It 
was  this  chief  whose  heroism  won  the  battle  of  Keei  ; 
at  the  end  of  eight  days'  fighting,  after  every  one  of  his 
own  soldiers  lay  dead  around  him,  he  slew  the  opposing 
king.  He  was  distinguished  also  by  the  deed  of  pub- 
licly assassinating  King  Keoua,  of  Kau,  and  seven  other 
chiefs  in  the  same  canoe,  having  been  prompted  to  this 
base  deed  by  revenge. 

Keoria,  the  brother  of  the  Hawaiian  king,f  was  con- 
spicuous among  the  company.  He  was  the  handsomest 
chief  in  all  this  group  of  gigantic  nobles.  Kameeimoku, 
another  young  warrior,  became  notable  as  the  chief  who 
subsequently  captured  the  "  Fair  American,"  killed  Cap- 
tain Metcalf  and  all  but  one  of  his  crew,  throwing  them 
to  the  sharks,  and  beached  the  vessel  on  the  Kona 
shore.  But  this  piratical  act  was  done  in  revenge  for  an 
unpardonable  insult  on  the  part  of  the  whites. 

King  Kahekili  was  the  most  remarkable  man  of  his 
party  of  kings  and  chiefs.  A  powerful,  active,  and  fear- 
less warrier,  he  was  the  most  renowned  general  among 
the  Leeward  Isles.  While  by  nature  he  was  stern  and 

*  The  spy  or  police,  to  watch  that  the  tabii  is  not  broken. — Ellis' 
"Hawaii,"  p.  365. 

f  Uncle  of  Kamehameha. — Ellis'  "  Hawaii,,"  p.  ill. 


152  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

cruel,  yet  he  could  be  genial,  social,  and  apparently 
good-hearted  in  his  kindly  moods.  Resolute,  tenacious, 
and  persistent  of  purpose  in  whatever  he  undertook,  he 
was  naturally  successful  in  every  enterprise  of  his  early 
reign  ;  and  not  until  after  conquering  Oahu,  and  he  had 
clouded  his  mind  by  dissipation,  did  he  meet  with  re- 
verses. He  presented  the  anomaly  of  a  warrior  who 
easily  conquered  the  kingdom  of  another,  but  who 
could  not  maintain  his  own  heritage. 

Though  ornamental  tattooing  had  become  unpopular 
in  his  age,  yet  Kahekili  made  himself  hideously  conspicu- 
ous by  covering  one  half  of  his  face  and  body  with  a 
black  tattoo,  unrelieved  by  any  attempt  at  embellish- 
ment, leaving  the  other  half  of  his  person  unmarred.* 

Living  in  a  polygamous  state  of  society,  when  many 
wives  were  deemed  indispensable  to  adorn  a  great  chief's 
establishment,  Kahekili  contented  himself  with  but  two. 
He  lived  much  by  himself,  and  gave  no  entertainments 
at  his  court. 

Born  the  younger  son  of  a  suspicious  and  cruel  family, 
with  neither  prospect  nor  expectations  of  ever  ascending 
a  throne,  this  cunning,  scheming  man  had  the  tact  to  live 

*  Black  was,  however,  deemed  the  sacred  color  in  Polynesia,  as  in 
many  other  ancient  countries.  Thus  the  chiefs — male  and  female — 
assumed  the  sole  right  of  tattooing.  There  was  a  proverb  :  "  He 
vveo  ke  Kandka  ;  He  pauo  ke  Alii  " — meaning  Red  is  the  Kanaka  ; 
Dark  is  the  Chief.  The  puua  hiwa  (black  hog)  was  sacred  to 
the  gods,  as  the  black  bulls  Apis  and  Mnevis  were  sacred  to  the  gods 
in  ancient  Egypt.  Black  was  the  robe  of  the  Kahuna,  as  with  the 
priests  of  Egypt.  The  recent  eruption  which  threatened  to  destroy 
Hilo  was  believed  to  have  been  stopped  by  the  sacrifice  of  Mrs. 

's  "  sacred  black  pig  to  Pele,  after  the  Christian  people  had 

prayed  to  God  in  vain."     Mrs.  was  one  of  the  group  of  Pele 

worshippers  who  went  up  to  the  crater  and  sacrificed  her/#«<z  hiwa 
with  the  present  king's  sister  and  others. 


Character  of  Kahekili.  1 5  3 

as  a  private  nobleman  in  retirement.  During  two  pre- 
ceding reigns,  he  had  been  a  dutiful  son  and  loyal 
brother.  At  the  death  of  his  brother,  the  king,  in  1765, 
Kahekili,  at  the  age  of  fifty,  seized  his  brother's  throne. 
There  were  young  heirs  and  a  rightful  queen.  But  he 
had  bided  well  his  time,  and  now  knew  his  power. 
None  proved  sufficiently  strong  to  dethrone  him,  and  he 
became  a  very  fiend  of  deception  and  cruelty  in  his 
greed  for  power. 

A  physiognomist  could  detect  the  true  character  of 
this  brilliant  king  in  his  small,  restless,  evasive  eyes. 
However  kindly  they  might  seem  to  smile  upon  you  for 
the  time,  they  never  failed  to  disclose  the  serpent  cun- 
ning of  this  treacherous  savage  in  times  of  war.  It  was 
this  foxy-eyed  monarch  who  subsequently,  while  promis- 
ing our  young  king  (whom  he  affectionately  called  his 
son)  that  he  should  be  his  heir,  and  have  Maui  at  his 
death,  at  the  same  time  sent  a  strong  body  of  warriors 
to  another  king  to  assist  in  destroying  the  "  son  "  to 
whom  he  had  just  promised  his  kingdom. 

Yet  Kahekili  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  warlike  sub- 
jects, and  greatly  feared  by  his  enemies.  His  friends 
accepted  his  cunning  and  treachery  as  strong  auxiliaries 
in  savage  warfare  ;  as  being,  indeed,  the  soundest  prin- 
ciples of  ethics  when  practised  against  an  enemy.  His 
foes  naturally  could  not  endure  his  methods  of  deception. 
These  had  often  tricked  them  into  death-traps  after  the 
king's  own  promise  of  safety  had  been  solemnly  given. 

It  was  found  to  be  the  best  policy  for  a  newly  con- 
quered people  to  give  prompt  and  zealous  allegiance  to 
Kahekili,  lest  his  piercing  eyes  should  detect  a  want  of 
aloha  in  his  newly  acquired  subjects.  For  such  delin- 
quency he  had  given  the  people  of  a  whole  town  to  mid- 


154  Kam&am/ka  the  Great. 

night  slaughter  ;  as  at  Moanalua,  after  the  conquest  of 
Oahu.  A  house  was  subsequently  built  of  the  bleached 
bones  of  the  victims.* 

Every  notable  chief  of  either  party  had  his  enmities 
against  others  of  the  terrible  warriors  present,  against 
whom  he  had  battled  from  his  youth.  Yet  the  greetings 
of  all  these  ferocious  spirits  were  meant  to  be  most  cor- 
dial ;  for  the  Hawaiian  nobility  cultivated  polished  court 
language  and  elegant  manners. 

But  abundant  lack  of  sincerity  was  disclosed  in  many 
instances.  Sinister  looks  and  sarcastic  remarks  were 
often  too  thinly  disguised  to  deceive  even  the  person  to 
whom  they  were  addressed  ;  as  when  the  polished  Kahe- 
kili  met  the  sarcastic  and  fearless  Keeaumoku.  This 
happened  at  a  moment  when  Kalaniopuu  was  absent  with 
the  other  kings.  The  Hawaiian  warrior  was  married  to 
Namahana,  Kahekili's  half-sister,  and  had  lived  in  Maui. 
But  because  of  jealousy  arising  out  of  this  very  family 
connection,  together  with  the  treachery  of  his  wife's 
three  brothers,  Keeaumoku  had  felt  obliged  to  seek  per- 
sonal safety  at  the  court  of  Hawaii,  where  he  was  wel- 
comed as  the  descendant  of  a  previous  Hawaiian  king  of 
his  name. 

Namahana  having  been  the  queen  of  Kamehanui,  her 
half-brother,  a  former  king  of  Maui,  her  three  remaining 
royal  brothers  were  naturally  suspicious  of  the  widowed 
queen's  motives  when  she  abruptly  married  so  formidable 
a  warrior  as  Keeaumoku,  fearing  lest  the  marriage  should 

*  This  dreadful  event  received  the  name  of  Kapoluku — "  the  night 
of  slaughter."  The  river  Niuhelewai,  to  the  west  of  Honolulu,  was 
dammed  up  with  the  dead  bodies  of  the  slain. — (Dibble,  p.  52.)  At 
the  Waipio  "  kimopo  "  (Waipio  assassination)  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren were  murdered  without  mercy.  The  aristocracy  of  Oahu  were 
nearly  extirpated. — ("  Polynesian  Races,"  p.  226.) 


The  Great  Keeaumoku.  155 

cover  some  design  upon  the  throne  of  her  dead  husband 
Thus  beneath  the  courteous  demeanor  and  veil  of  pleas- 
antries between  these  four  notables,  now  met  at  the  feast 
of  kings,  there  were  visible  gleams  of  ill  disguised  hatred. 
For  had  not  this  most  valuable  of  all  their  subjects  car- 
ried his  allegiance  across  the  sea  to  an  enemy's  court  ? 

"  Ah  !  Keeaumoku,  I  see  that  my  sister's  noble  hus- 
band has  not  lost  flesh  since  he  so  suddenly  changed  his 
place  of  residence  to  Hawaii,"  remarked  Kahekili,  as  the 
royal  chiefs  met  to  make  choice  of  fruit  from  the  same 
sugar-banana  tree.  A  covert  sneer  was  implied  in  the 
stinging  tone  of  the  king's  words.  It  made  Keeaumoku 
forget  the  fruit  he  had  plucked,  for  he  tossed  the  rare 
edible  into  the  river,  and  replied  with  ill-concealed  bit- 
terness : 

"  Your  majesty  is  right.  The  observations  of  those 
small  keen  eyes  are  unerring.  This  is  a  tranquil  court 
to  live  in.  One  need  not  always  carry  his  pahi  (dagger) 
about  with  him  in  this  happy  vale  of  Waipio,  in  fear  of 
some  court  assassin  stabbing  him  in  the  back." 

This  retort  brought  a  venomous  curl  to  the  king's  mo- 
bile lips,  and  a  sudden  increase  of  disquietude  into  his 
snakish  eyes.  But  instead  of  abandoning  his  search  for  a 
banana,  the  crafty  nature  of  the  man  was  shown  by  his 
taking  yet  greater  care  in  his  selection  of  the  fruit,  while 
he  responded  with  a  sardonic  laugh  : 

"  Ha,  ha,  a  small  person  like  Keeaumoku  ought  to  be 
able  to  defend  himself  without  pololu  or  pahi — spear  or 
dagger.  But  surely  you  did  not  consider  our  kingdom  of 
Maui  an  unsafe  place  of  residence  for  one  of  your 
mettle  ? "  And  the  king  actually  attempted  to  eat  his 
banana,  but  it  choked  in  his  throat. 

"  Sire,   we    all   know  that    for  any   chief   gifted  with 


156  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

greater  prowess  than  the  royal  sons  of  Kekaulike,*  Maui 
is  the  unsafest  place  to  live  in  among  the  islands.  And 
then  it  runs  in  the  family  of  my  royal  brother-in-law  to 
discover  many  aspirants  for  the  throne.  This  unfor- 
tunate jealousy  often  brings  one  to  taste  Pepehi's  poison 
god  ;  as  many  a  noble  chief  of  the  other  line  of  kings 
could  have  testified  just  before  he  died." 

"  Fie,  fie !  noble  Alii ;  there  are  too  many  gallant 
fighters  in  our  family  of  kings  that  one  should  need  to 
take  such  measures  for  the  safety  of  his  throne.  Be  rid 
of  such  notions,  my  gallant  brother,  and  come  across  the 
sea  and  lead  my  new  expedition  against  Oahu.  And 
harkee  !  noble  Keeaumoku.  It  is  time  you  should  aspire 
to  a  throne  of  your  own.  The  blood  of  kings  runs  in 
your  veins.  Come  to  Maui,  and  when  Oahu  is  mine, 
Molokai  shall  be  yours." 

"Thanks  for  the  honor  you  propose.  But  to  how 
many  other  alii  nui  have  you  already  made  the  same 
tempting  offer  for  like  service  ?  Henceforth  Keeaumoku 
will  lead  his  expeditions  from  Hawaii.  But  what  has 
happened  that  you  war  against  the  kingdom  of  Kumahana 
of  Oahu?" 

"  The  arrogant  king  has  said  rude  things  about  our 
family.  Surely  this  will  interest  you.  When  Keao  was 
paying  court  to  Queen  Kamakaheli,  of  Kauai,  with  a  view 
to  marriage,  and  becoming  king  of  the  isles,  Kumahana 
interfered  to  break  up  the  alliance  and  sent  his  own  son, 
Kaneoneo,  to  marry  the  Queen  of  Kauai." 

"But  he  did  not  succeed,  and  Keao  has  become  King 
of  Kauai." 

"  True,  but  Kumahana  showed  a  disposition  to  meddle 
with  his  superiors,  and  I  will  chastise  him." 

*  Kekaulike  was  a  former  king  of  Maui,  and  father  of  the  three 
last  kings  of  that  island. 


Trap  for  Keeaumoku.  157 

"  And  what  does  the  king  of  Molokai  think  of  your 
fighting  his  brother  ?  And  how  can  you  give  away 
Molokai,  an  island  which  already  has  a  king  in  dutiful 
allegiance  to  you  ? " 

"  Kumakoa  must  join  my  army,  and  fight  against  his 
brother  of  Oahu,  or  Molakai  shall  be  added  to  my  king- 
dom. While  on  the  passage  across  to  Hawaii  I  learned 
that  he  is  not  inclined  to  join  my  cause  ;  and  I  have 
already  sent  back  word  for  my  army  to  sail  at  once  and 
take  possession  of  his  kingdom,  while  I  detain  him  and 
his  prominent  war  chiefs  in  my  train.  Is  not  that  a  neat 
piece  of  strategy,  my  brother  ?  " 

t(  It  is  indeed  a  scheme  worthy  of  the  cunning  of 
Kahekili." 

Here  Kalaniopuu  came  suddenly  into  the  group,  and 
changed  the  dangerous  current  of  talk,  for  he  had 
observed  from  a  distance  that  Keeaumoku  was  handling 
his  dagger  nervously. 

"What!  noble  Aliis,  discussing  warlike  projects  on 
this  day  of  our  festivities  ?  Let  us  be  content  each  one 
with  his  own  kingdom,  and  let  our  neighbors  live  in  peace." 

"  The  Alii  Moi  of  Hawaii  may  well  be  content  with 
his,"  replied  Kahekili.  "  He  has  a  land  broader  than  all 
our  kingdoms  together,  and  reaching  upward  to  the 
snow-lands  of  lani-loa  "  (the  high  heaven). 

"  Our  islands  are  enough  for  all.  And  let  us  remember 
that  hardly  three  in  a  hundred  of  our  kings  die  a  natural 
death." 

"Who  asks  to  die  like  a  wahine,  sheltered  in  his 
house  ?  I  doubt  if  there  is  a  chief  present  who  would 
not  rather  die  spear  in  hand,  than  live  to  be  old,  and  be 
dosed  to  death  by  a  kahdna-lapaau  "  (medicine-priest). 

Just  then  Kiwalao  came  to  tell  his  father  that  the  earth 


158  Katntham&a  the  Great. 

ovens  had  been  opened,  and  the  feast  was  ready  to  serve. 

"  Come,  my  guests,  the  feast  awaits  you.  Kahekili,  we 
shall  treat  you  to  the  finest  ilio  poll  ever  nursed  by 
wahines*  Our  ohelo  berries  are  fresh  from  the  banks  of 
Kilauea  crater  ;  they  were  gathered  for  this  feast  by  the 
divine  permission  of  Pele.  Our  geese  and  ducks  were 
fatted  on  the  strawberry  fields  of  Waimea.  Our  rasp- 
berries grew  above  the  forest  belt  of  Mauna  Kea,  and 
neither  the  red  nor  the  white  ones  can  be  matched  else- 
where in  all  the  islands." 

The  hungry  warriors  seated  themselves  on  the  mats  in 
the  shade  in  two  distinct  groups  according  to  their  rank. 
Naihe  called  the  merry  convives  to  order  ;  and  while  the 
chiefs  were  carving  the  hogs,  dogs,  and  fowls  with  their 
keen  bamboo  knives,  he  made  a  pleasant  speech  charging 
the  guests  to  give  the  king  the  pleasure  of  seeing  that 
they  relished  the  feast ;  and  all  fell  to  in  earnest. 

A  monstrous  breadfruit,  baked  in  the  earth  oven, 
having  been  placed  before  Kahekili,  he  enquired  where 
it  grew.  Being  told  that  it  came  from  Waimanu  Valley, 
the  royal  gallant  brightened  up  with  a  flash  of  real  pleas- 
ure. Looking  archly  across  the  feast  to  where  Keoua 
sat  he  exclaimed  in  an  undertone  not  meant  to  be  offen- 
sive, his  mouth  still  crammed  with/*?/  and  dog-meat : 

"  Keoua !  most  noble  Alii,  which  of  us  two  won  the 
fair  Priestess  of  Mukini  in  years  gone  by  ? "  And  yet 
this  query  was  a  jest  upon  his  own  love  affair  as  well  as 
Keoua's  ;  for  neither  of  them  could  win  Wailele. 

"  May  it  please  your  majesty,  you  made  the  last  attack 

*  Though  pigs  baked  in  the  earth  ovens  were  relished  by  all,  and 
^w'-fed  dogs  were  the  delight  of  epicures,  yet  the  ilio  poll  was  con- 
sidered the  rarest  delicacy  known  to  the  gastronomic  art ;  a  royal 
dainty,  willingly  nourished  by  women  for  the  feasts  of  kings  as  well 
as  for  the  oblations  of  the  priests. 


Waileles  Three  Lovers.  1 59 

upon  the  noble  maiden's  heart,  and  by  some  defect  of 
memory  you  have  not  thought  to  tell  us  of  your  own  suc- 
cess," replied  the  handsome  "  Rain  Food,"  his  face  red- 
dening with  all  the  blood  it  could  carry  as  he  endeavored 
to  parry  the  exposure  of  his  own  failure. 

"  Most  happily  put,  and  I  freely  say  to  all  present,  that 
throughout  the  long  years  since  my  visit  to  Mukini  I 
have  been  without  a  heart.  But  with  Kalaniopuu's  per- 
mission I  hope  to  visit  Waimanu  again,  and  there  search 
for  what  I  have  lost."  And  he  turned  to  the  king  for  an 
answer  to  this  request. 

The  large  dark  eyes  of  the  Hawaiian  monarch  flashed, 
and  his  usually  benignant  face  paled  at  these  words. 
Only  by  the  strongest  restraint  could  he  reply  calmly  to 
Kahekili's  request.  Yet  not  a  soul  among  his  chiefs 
knew  why  he  was  disturbed. 

"  King  of  Maui,  I  permit  none  of  my  guests  to  intrude 
upon  the  Valley  of  Waimanu.  It  is  the  one  sanctuary  of 
my  kingdom  ;  it  is  tabued  to  strangers." 

"  But  I  am  an  old  friend  of  the  pious  Priestess  ;  I  re- 
spect her  more  than  any  other  person  living.  Not  the 
least  of  the  objects  of  my  visit  is  to  see  the  beautiful 
Wailele  once  more,"  persisted  Kahekili. 

"  This  company  of  kings  and  nobles  will  find  the  hos- 
pitality of  Waipio  sufficient  to  occupy  their  time  during 
the  three  days  they  will  remain  with  us." 

Thus  Kalaniopuu  not  only  forbade  the  King  of  Maui 
to  visit  Waimanu,  but  limited  the  visit  to  his  court  to  the 
three  days  for  which  the  guests  were  bidden.  The  keen- 
eyed  old  monarch  had  already  discovered  that  jealousies 
were  aroused,  which,  under  the  excitement  of  too  much 
awa*  would  breed  mischief  among  the  warriors.  More 

*  Chiefs  were  exceedingly  intemperate  in  the  use  of  awa,  which 
often  caused  premature  decay. — Jarves'  "  History,"  p.  492. 


160  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

than  this,  he  had  been  greatly  perplexed  by  the  ominous 
messages  and  threatening  oracles  he  had  received  from 
the  several  heidus,  and  could  not  quite  determine  how  he 
should  abridge  the  visit  of  his  royal  neighbors.  But 
when  his  favorite  Priestess  of  Mukini  was  threatened 
with  their  riotous  intrusion,  then  he  found  cause  for 
limiting  the  stay  of  his  dangerous  visitors,  even  at  the 
risk  of  offending  the  haughty  chief  at  his  side. 

Both  Pepehi  and  Wailele  had  sent  word  that  wonder- 
ful events  were  about  to  take  place.  It  was  surmised 
that  some  ancient  god  was  coming  to  visit  the  islands  ; 
perhaps  even  Lono  himself.  The  priests  and  prophets 
agreed  that  Kahekili's  motives  were  to  spy  out  the  land, 
and  that  he  would  endeavor  to  win  over  some  of  the 
Hawaiian  chiefs  to  fight  in  his  cause  against  the  Leeward 
Islands. 

All  this  exciting  news  made  the  entertainment  of  his 
ancient  enemies  a  serious  task  for  Kalaniopuu,  as  he 
could  only  share  his  anxiety  with  Keoua,  Keeaumoku, 
and  a  few  other  trusty  counsellors. 

The  feast  over,  dancing  and  games  occupied  the  rest 
of  the  day  ;  and  the  second  day  was  spent  in  the  same 
manner.  The  dignity  and  commanding  presence  of 
Kalaniopuu  and  his  chiefs  curbed  the  turbulent  spirits  of 
both  parties,  and  nothing  beyond  wordy  conflicts  took 
place.  But  the  most  deadly  enmities,  engendered  by 
long  years  of  bitter  warfare,  rankled  in  the  hearts  of 
these  fierce  princes. 


XVIII. 

THE    MAN-KILLERS    ON    THE    CHIEF-BOY'S    TRACK. 

NOT  until  Kame'hameha  had  passed  the  head  of 
Waipio  Valley,  a  thickly-peopled  garden-land 
far  down  below  his  track,  and  had  approached  within 
full  view  of  his  own  Waimanu  home,  did  he  think  it  best 
to  visit  his  uncle.  But  as  he  approached  the  moss- 
covered  walls  of  the  ancient  heidu,  in  descending  the 
mountain,  he  was  impelled  to  tarry  at  Puukeekee  for  a 
day.  Now  that  he  knew  his  own  mind,  he  felt  that  he 
ought  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  Pepehi  in  regard 
to  the  future  course  of  his  life. 

As  he  gazed  down  upon  the  grim  walls  and  hideous 
idols  of  the  murderous  place,  not  without  apprehension, 
to  all  appearances  there  was  neither  human  sacrifice  nor 
conviviality  going  on,  so  that  the  time  seemed  auspicious 
for  his  purpose. 

Not  a  soul  greeted  him  as  he  passed  through  the  open 
archway  in  the  thick  wall  of  the  heidu,  though  Puukeekee 
was  a  place  never  willingly  intruded  upon  by  the  outer 
world. 

But  as  he  climbed  cautiously  up  to  the  central  terrace, 
where  stood  the  lele  and  the  sacred  temple  of  the  priest, 
his  ear  was  assailed  by  the  furious  barking  and  howling 
of  a  score  of  well-fed  dogs.  What  these  canine  assailants 
were  fatted  upon  need  hardly  be  specified.  In  this 
sanctuary  but  one  kind  of  meat  diet  was  plentiful. 

161 


1 62  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

As  the  ferocious  animals  snapped  at  his  heels,  Kame'- 
hameha  pricked  some  of  the  most  violent  ones  with  his 
spear-point,  which  sent  them  yelping  into  the  adjacent 
domicile  of  their  sleeping  master,  and  served  the  good 
purpose  of  bringing  out  the  angry  old  Kahuna  to  the 
rescue. 

Pepehi  came  rushing  out,  dagger  in  hand,  tumbling 
over  the  cowering  dogs,  and  the  human  bones  upon 
which  they  had  been  feeding,  seen  scattered  about  every- 
where over  the  terrace  pavement.  Kicking  the  yelping 
brutes  to  the  right  and  left  as  he  ran,  and  grinding  his 
few  remaining  teeth  with  rage,  the  blear-eyed  old  priest 
confronted  his  as  yet  unrecognized  nephew  with  dread- 
ful imprecations  as  he  bellowed  savagely  at  the  intruder  : 

"  What,  what  !  who  's  this  that  dares  intrude  upon  a 
sacred  heidu  of  the  gods  ?  What  ho  !  pepehi  kanaka, 
where  are  you,  lazy  hounds  ?  Wiki  uriki  !  (quick  !)  and 
secure  this  fat  victim  for  a  kdpu  kdne.  Curses  upon  the 
vile  slaves  that  leave  their  old  Kahuna  alone  with  dogs 
and  intruders  !  " 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  by  Kamehameha  ;  not  a 
muscle  of  his  face  moved  to  betray  his  identity.  The 
matter  became  all  the  more  perplexing  to  Pepehi.  Draw- 
ing his  dagger  to  the  front,  Kamehameha  levelled  his 
spear  to  defend  himself  from  the  maddened  monster, 
now  too  nearly  blinded  with  rage  to  see  that  it  was  his 
sister's  son  who  had  entered  the  heidu  in  the  absence  of 
its  cut-throats.  The  spear  in  the  hands  of  a  lusty  look- 
ing fellow  who  failed  to  show  obsequious  fear  of  a  priest, 
looked  more  than  a  match  for  his  dagger  ;  and  Pepehi 
discreetly  came  to  a  halt  about  two  yards  from  its 
threatening  point. 

Glowering  with  rage   which   momentarily   increased, 


Drawn  Daggers.  163 

and  panting  for  breath,  the  priest  seated  himself  upon  an 
altar  to  confront  and  question  the  intruder  who  had 
thus  dared  to  let  blood  from  his  pet  dogs.  Half  a  dozen 
of  the  curs  were  lying  snarling  at  his  feet,  lapping  their 
bleeding  spear-wounds  while  they  eyed  the  offender. 

Looking  furtively  at  his  visitor  while  recovering  his 
breath,  it  was  only  after  repeated  surveys  that  Pepehi 
fairly  recognized  Kamehameha,  quietly  seated  there 
upon  a  block  of  lava  about  a  spear's  length  away.  For 
a  while  an  odd  mixture  of  surprise  and  anger  contended 
for  the  mastery  on  the  shrivelled  face  of  the  Kahtina,  be- 
fore he  could  fairly  conclude  who  it  was  thus  calmly 
wiping  the  dog-blood  from  his  spear.  At  last,  with  a 
long  expulsive  breath,  like  the  steam  puff  before  a  vol- 
canic explosion,  Pepehi  broke  out  : 

"  How  is  this  ?  Is  it  possible  you  are  Wailele's  boy 
grown  to  be  a  man  since  I  saw  you  !  Name  of  Pele  ! 
you  are  as  big  as  a  koa  tree,  and  cool  and  cunning 
enough  for  a  kahilna.  What  say  you,  Kamehameha? 
Have  you  come  to  live  with  me  and  become  Priest  of 
Puukeekee  ? " 

"  Not  so.  I  came  to  tell  you,  uncle,  that  I  will  never 
be  a  priest.  I  would  rather  be  a  warrior,  a  man  of  the 
world." 

Surprise  had  nearly  obliterated  every  trace  of  rage  in 
the  old  man's  face  before  this  speech  was  made,  but  this 
unsatisfactory  reply  to  his  pet  scheme  instantly  brought 
back  a  new  outburst  of  the  most  envenomed  frenzy. 

"  Bah  !  a  young  poolua  (bastard)  must  be  something 
more  than  a  man  to  make  his  way  in  a  bustling  world 
like  this,"  answered  the  crafty  old  Kahilna. 

Dark  eyes  never  flashed  more  lurid  fires  than  were 
hurtled  back  in  reply  to  this  affront.  His  glances  were 


164  Kamdh&mtha  the  Great. 

like  lance-thrusts  as  Kame"hameha  leaped  up  from  the 
lava  rock  with  a  tigerish  spring,  and  drew  his  dagger 
with  full  intent  to  grapple  with  the  murderous  giant  for 
thus  having  stained  his  priestly  mother's  name. 

But  with  a  mighty  impulse  of  self-control,  the  thought- 
ful chief  stayed  his  mad  intent  as  he  reached  the  altar 
over  which  the  agile  priest  had  deftly  sprung.  Standing 
there  transfixed,  with  foot  advanced  and  brawny  arm 
thrown  back  in  act  to  strike,  Kamehameha  posed  like  a 
gladiator  intent  upon  a  deed  of  death. 

The  young  alii  was  the  first  to  grow  calm.  Though 
yet  too  much  enraged  to  answer  the  cruel  words  of  the 
Kahuna,  he  still  held  him  with  an  unquailing  look  of  re- 
proach and  a  dignity  of  mien  which  still  further  nettled 
the  priest. 

At  the  first  forward  move  of  the  enraged  young  alii, 
Pepehi  had  sprung  nimbly  over  the  altar,  and  clutched 
his  long-bladed  dagger — once  a  Damascus  sword-blade 
of  Paao's — standing  firmly  on  the  defensive.  His  blood- 
shot eyes  gleamed  with  joy  at  the  thought  of  teaching 
this  young  bantling  his  unerring  skill  in  striking  home  to 
the  heart,  even  though  the  victim  were  his  own  loved 
sister's  child. 

Yet  this  blood-loving  man  was  not  wholly  an  unrelent- 
ing villain.  Few  such  are  born  of  women.  This  life-long 
assassin  could  not  but  appreciate  the  courage,  dignity, 
and  self-restraint  that  he  had  just  seen  in  the  noble 
chief-boy.  A  grim  smile  parted  the  thick  lips  of  the 
Kahuna,  as  the  two  stood  glaring  at  each  other.  A  gleam 
of  demoniacal  pleasure  lighted  up  his  eyes, — lurid  as 
a  sunbeam  on  a  crater's  verge, — and  the  monster  laughed 
aloud  as  he  sheathed  his  blade  with  a  lingering  motion, 
as  if  yet  half  unwilling  to  lose  such  a  toothsome  victim 


Reconciliation.  165 

for  his  altar  fires.  But  with  a  surly  effort  to  be  civil  he 
gruffly  addressed  the  chief  : 

"  Sit  down,  Kamehameha.  Your  mother  has  begotten 
a  mettlesome  warrior,  I  see.  Whoever  your  father  may 
be,  he  is  a  better  man  than  I  thought,  to  impart  such 
manliness  to  you.  Let  this  piece  of  fretfulness  pass,  my 
lad.  Let  it  pass  in  your  old  uncle,  who  admires  his 
nephew's  willingness  to  fight." 

"  Why  do  you  brand  me  with  foul  names.  As  you 
value  your  life  taunt  me  no  more."  And  the  still  defiant 
boy  looked  stern  and  unrelenting  into  the  mocking  eyes 
of  his  uncle.  He  went  back  to  the  rock  for  his  spear,  and 
refused  to  be  seated. 

"  Let  it  pass,  my  boy.  I  for  one  am  not  sorry  it  hap- 
pened, for  you  have  won  my  respect  as  you  otherwise 
could  not  have  done.  No  fear  but  such  a  mettlesome 
lad  will  win  his  way  in  the  world.  Next  to  a  ready  hand 
in  a  land  of  daggers,  the  best  of  all  things  is  your  self-re- 
straint ;  't  is  a  mighty  power  in  time  of  danger  ;  for  had 
your  eye  wavered  one  instant,  I  should  have  stabbed  you 
to  the  heart." 

"  But  tempt  me  no  more,  uncle,  be  warned  in  time. 
My  will  was  good  enough  to  have  killed  you,  but  for  the 
thought  that  you  are  my  mother's  brother." 

"  And  I,  too,  would  have  slaughtered  my  troublesome 
nephew,  and  sacrificed  his  tender  carcass  as  I  would  a 
dog's.  Ah  !  it  was  a  pleasant  thing  to  see  a  youngster 
with  such  a  lust  for  murder  in  his  callow  heart.  It  was 
the  finest  impulse  of  cut  and  slash  my  old  eyes  have 
seen.  Pity  it  was  spoiled  by  a  puling  sentiment  !  Pity 
that  it  checked  your  dagger-hand  from  stabbing  your 
mother's  brother  !  But  whatever  the  impulse  which  re- 
strained you,  your  courage  to  fight  against  odds  of  age 


1 66  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

and  skill  comes  only  of  highly  tempered  metal,  and  I 
admire  it." 

"But  why  do  you  taunt  me  vt\\h  poolua  ?  Am  I  not 
a  '  god-born  '  alii  ?  None  know  better  than  you,  a  moo- 
kahilna  (history-making  priest),  that  honor  and  heredity 
come  from  the  mother,  not  from  the  father." 

"  You  are  right,  boy.  There  's  truth  in  what  you  say. 
Who  taught  you  this  ? 

"  The  blind  bard  and  my  noble  mother.  How  many 
of  King  Keawe's  hundred  children,  born  on  every  isle, 
dare  claim  descent  from  that  wandering  rake,  who  took 
every  pretty  woman  to  wife  without  regard  to  rank  ? 
Only  those  born  of  noble  mothers  are  deemed  exalted  ; 
the  plebeian  children  remain  ignoble  though  begotten  by 
a  popular  king."* 

"  So  you  are  wise  above  your  years,  I  see,  and  know  the 
mother's  superiority  in  this  matter.  True,  the  child  of  a 
noble  chiefess  needs  not  the  prestige  of  a  father  ;  true, 
the  brat  of  a  wahine  wale  is  not  ennobled  even  by  a  mon- 
arch. But  who  is  your  sire,  my  mettlesome  Alii  ?" 

"  I  am  taught  that  I  was  i  god-born,'  as  you  well 
know,  and  I  am  led  to  believe  that  the  divine  Pele  is  my 
godmother." 

"  True,  and  with  every  priest  in  the  land  I,  too,  have 
taught  that  pretty  creed,  believing  it,  however,  as  little  as 
most  else  that  I  preach  for  the  good  of  priestcraft." 

"  The  day  is  waning,  uncle,  and  I  must  hasten  to 
Waimanu." 

"  Nay,  boy,  tarry  for  some  days  with  me.     I  cannot 

*  Kamehameha  IV.  and  V.  were  noble  only  through  their  mother, 
Kinau.  Chiefs  descended  from  Keawe  by  common  women  feel  dis- 
honored, conceal  their  origin,  and  dislike  to  have  their  plebeian  gene- 
alogy recalled. — Remy's  "  Venerable  Savage,"  p,  31. 


The  Treacherous  Priest.  167 

quite  give  up  the  thought  of  making  you  Priest  of 
Puukeekee." 

"  No  more  of  that.  The  thought  of  it  makes  the 
blood  trickle  to  my  spear-point.  I  must  away.  Aloha  f  " 

And  without  mentioning  a  word  of  his  recent  expedi- 
tion to  Mauna  Loa,  or  even  waiting  to  partake  of  food, 
lest  the  dust  of  Pepehi's  poison  god  should  accidentally 
get  mixed  with  his  beverage  of  poi>  he  abruptly  left  the 
heidu.  He  soon  met  a  royal  courier  from  Waipio  as  he 
passed  out,  who  informed  him  that  great  events  were 
about  to  occur  at  court,  and  asked  where  he  could  find 
Pepehi.  Hastening  down  the  mountain  path  on  his 
lonely  way  to  Waimanu,  the  fearless  chief  was  not  above 
the  prudence  of  keeping  to  the  most  open  trail  to  be 
found,  lest  some  ambuscade  of  his  affectionate  uncle's 
assassins  might  be  laid  for  him. 

It  had  not  escaped  the  observation  of  the  keen-eyed 
boy,  that  immediately  after  he  left  the  heidu,  Pepehi  made 
vigorous  tabu  signals,  meaning  :  Urgent  need  of  victims. 
Kamehameha  well  knew,  in  spite  of  all  the  priest's  pro- 
fessions of  friendliness,  that  he  could  never  again  feel 
secure  from  his  vengeance.  Satanic  craftiness  was  the 
strongest  trait  of  the  Kahuna  ;  he  would  follow  a 
trail  of  blood  like  a  sleuth-hound  until  his  revenge  was 
sated.  Most  likely  the  murderous  man-killers  were 
prowling  about  Waipio.  But  as  there  was  little  commu- 
nication with  the  inaccessible  valley  of  Waimanu,  the 
alert  young  Alii  saw  no  cause  for  alarm.  Striding  rapidly 
along  the  south  pdli  until  he  reached  the  great  pandanus, 
he  there  made  signal  for  a  canoe,  and  was  almost  in- 
stantly answered  by  a  dozen  upraised  hands  at  Mukini. 

A  general  uneasiness  had  been  felt  on  account  of  his 
long  absence,  and  one  or  more  of  the  priest-girls  were  on 


1 68  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

the  watch  along  the  south  pdli  for  his  coming.  Waile'le 
had  been  impressed  with  some  deadly  peril  awaiting 
him.  Whether  her  maternal  instinct  had  been  aroused 
by  what  had  already  occurred  at  the  heidu,  or  the  pro- 
phetic insight  of  the  priestess  had  forecast  coming 
events,  it  is  not  easy  to  say.  This  much  is  certain,  the 
watchful  eyes  at  Mukini  had  already  discovered  two 
burly  man-killers  following  on  Kameliameha's  trail,  a 
moment  after  he  left  the  pandanus,  tracking  swiftly 
along  the/df// 'J  edge  about  half  a  mile  behind  the  chief. 
The  foremost  pepehi  had  a  lariat  in  his  hand,  ready 
looped  to  noose  and  strangle  his  victim,  while  the  less 
powerful  assassin  carried  a  short  sharp  spear  which  had 
drunk  the  heart-blood  of  hundreds  of  innocents. 

None  understood  better  than  the  anxious  priest-mother 
and  wahines  this  dreadful  portent.  These  inhuman  creat- 
ures followed  a  trail  as  cunningly  as  serpents,  and  as 
noiselessly  as  ghosts,  and  they  struck  their  fatal  blows 
with  the  certainty  of  long  experience.  A  second  canoe 
was  manned  by  some  of  the  lusty  slave  men  belonging 
to  the  heidUy  and  dispatched  with  all  haste  to  the  river 
mouth.  But  the  previous  canoe  had  lost  no  time,  and 
was  already  out  through  the  breakers,  and  speeding 
swiftly  for  the  adjacent  valley,  about  two  miles  away. 
It  was  ardent  friendship  for  Kamehameha,  not  fear  of 
his  safety,  that  impelled  these  swift  paddles. 

All  unconscious  of  the  danger  on  his  track,  Kame*- 
hameha  arrived  safely  at  the  shore.  The  canoe  from 
Waimanu  awaited  him,  manned  by  twenty  of  his  devoted 
chief-friends.  They  were  full  of  joy  to  see  their  young 
leader  again,  and  wild  with  impatience  to  learn  the  suc- 
cess of  his  mission  to  Pele. 

Embarking  after  all  had  rubbed  noses  and  embraced 


Returning  to  Waimdnu.  169 

him,  Kameliameha  was  somewhat  startled  on  looking 
back  to  see  a  glistening  spear-point  among  the  banana 
trees  skirting  the  beach,  and  soon  after,  as  the  canoe 
receded  swiftly  from  the  shore,  two  beastly-looking 
faces  were  thrust  cautiously  out  from  among  the  bushes. 
One  of  them  he  remembered  as  Pepo,  the  gigantic 
pepehi  who  had  once  guided  him  down  from  Puukeekee. 

The  first  impulse  of  the  indignant  chief  was  to  return 
to  the  shore  and  give  battle  to  the  wretches,  but  on 
second  thought  he  concluded  that  they  must  have  been 
lurking  there  before  he  came,  and  were  not  sent  to  en- 
trap him. 

As  the  canoe  sped  along  the  shore  Kamehame'ha 
could  not  resist  the  importunity  of  the  chief-boys  to 
relate  his  pilgrimage  to  the  gods.  When  he  told  them 
of  his  climbing  Mauna  Loa  by  the  light  of  the  lava 
flow,  and  passing  a  night  by  the  dreadful  crater,  and  de- 
scribed the  black  demons  in  the  lake  of  fire,  every  pad- 
dle was  suspended,  and  every  face  displayed  horror  at 
the  supernatural  dangers  from  which  he  had  escaped. 
Without  betraying  its  special  import,  he  briefly  related 
his  interview  with  Pele,  which  for  ever  sanctified  him  in 
the  esteem  of  every  chief  of  Waimdnu.  When  they 
knew  he  was  loved  by  the  gods,  and  that  his  ambitious 
schemes  were  sanctioned,  every  arm  that  could  wield  a 
spear  was  ready  to  battle  for  him. 

As  they  approached  Waimanu  River,  their  shouts  col- 
lected hundreds  of  other  chiefs,  until  the  river  bank  was 
thronged.  They  changed  canoes  and  paddled  up  to 
Tribute  Rock,  where  other  crowds  had  gathered  to  cry 
their  glad  Aloha.  There  hundreds  of  enthusiastic  young 
souls  were  heard,  vowing  eternal  allegiance  to  their 
young  Alii. 


170  KamtkamSka  the  Great. 

This  reception  affected  the  noble  boy  to  tears.  As- 
suming the  prerogative  of  a  priest  of  Mukini, — for  he 
was  ennobled  by  his  interview  with  Pele, — he  permitted 
the  canoe  which  bore  him  and  his  twenty  companions  to 
pass  the  tabii  line  at  Tribute  Rock,  and  paddle  on  up  to 
the  garden  entrance  of  Mukini.  There  Wailele  and  the 
whole  family  of  priest-girls,  with  their  yelping  nurslings, 
were  waiting  to  receive  their  young  lord.  Glad  indeed 
was  the  meeting.  One  after  another  of  the  wahmes, 
after  the  stately  priest-mother  had  welcomed  her  boy 
with  mingled  pride  and  love,  took  their  young  Alii  in 
their  arms.  The  excited  chief-boys  had  hastened  to 
relate  Kamehameha's  adventures  in  brief  epitome,  ere 
the  canoes  touched  the  shore,  and  from  that  hour  he 
was  sanctified  in  their  eyes. 

A  sumptuous  supper  was  served  for  Kamehameha  and 
his  chiefs,  after  which  all  gathered  with  the  wahines  upon 
the  veranda  to  listen  to  a  more  detailed  account  of  the 
traveller's  story.  Great  was  the  mother's  pride  in  her 
boy  as  she  listened  to  his  wonderful  adventures  ;  his 
struggles  in  climbing  the  mountain,  whose  vast  summit 
none  other  had  ever  approached  ;  his  courage  in  invad- 
ing the  tabued  snow  line,  and  approaching  the  forbidden 
crater  in  defiance  of  the  howling  demons  of  Mokua-weo- 
weo.  And  when  he  related  his  vision  of  the  divine  Pele, 
and  the  condescension  of  the  deity  to  her  child,  the 
mother's  heart  burst  forth  in  adoration  of  the  gracious 
goddess  for  conferring  such  high  honor  upon  her  off- 
spring. 

When  the  chiefs  had  returned  down  the  river,  and  the 
greetings  of  the  household  retainers  were  over,  Kame- 
hameha took  his  fond  mother  aside  to  unfold  a  less 
pleasant  part  of  his  experience.  The  story  of  the  quar- 


Guarding  the  Temple.  171 

rel  at  Puukeekee  he  had  purposely  reserved.  When  he 
had  related  every  thing  which  happened,  and  repeated 
every  word  that  was  spoken  by  the  murder-loving  priest, 
the  transition  of  Wailele's  emotions  from  reverence  to 
rage  was  dreadful.  The  beautiful  face  of  the  Priestess 
turned  to  a  pallor  that  her  boy  had  never  seen  before. 
Grief  filled  her  flashing  eyes  with  tears  ;  then  came  rage 
at  the  indignity  Pepehi  had  put  upon  herself  and  her 
child.  Woe  to  the  old  priest  should  he  come  within 
Wailele's  grasp  in  such  an  hour  of  resentment ! 

These  emotions  were  followed  by  yet  another  one  of 
greater  import  to  her  tender  heart.  Terrible  as  it  was  to 
contemplate  the  deadly  peril  from  which  her  boy  had 
escaped,  the  mother's  anxiety  for  the  future  now  surs 
mounted  all  else.  The  old  Kahuna  was  an  experienced 
assassin  ;  seldom  did  he  fail  to  avenge  an  offence  by  the 
death  of  his  antagonist.  And  now  the  man-killers  of 
Puukeekee  had  been  already  set  upon  his  trail  ;  Wailele 
well  knew  that  nothing  but  divine  interposition  could 
save  her  child.  But  before  she  slept,  unknown  to  Kame- 
hameha,  the  Priestess  set  her  most  faithful  slave  soldiers 
to  guard  every  approach  to  the  heidu  through  the  night, 
with  orders  to  kill  on  the  instant  all  who  should  fail  to 
give  the  countersign.  And  lest  her  proud  Alii  should 
think  that  some  of  her  emotions  were  due  to  the  exist- 
ence of  just  cause  for  the  insulting  epithet  put  upon  his 
birth,  the  beautiful  mother  bid  him  know  that  he  was 
not  only  legitimate,  but  of  yet  greater  paternal  rank  than 
he  knew,  and  that  in  proper  time  all- the  world  should  be 
informed  who  he  was,  and  would  gladly  bend  the  knee 
to  his  power  and  rank. 


XIX. 

PEPEHI    REBUKED    BY    THE    GODDESS. 

BEFORE  noon  on  the  following  day  the  people  of 
Mukini  were  unpleasantly  surprised  by  a  visit 
from  Pepehi.  His  coming  was  made  the  more  suspi- 
cious and  unwelcome  because  he  was  accompanied  by 
his  most  savage  pepehi ;  for  bloodshed  rarely  failed  to 
follow  the  presence  of  the  gigantic  Pepo. 

Wailele  was  struck  dumb  with  consternation  when  she 
saw  the  murderous  pair  coming  up  the  river  path  to- 
gether. Before  the  priest  could  reach  the  heidu  she 
found  time  to  arm  herself  with  a  dagger,  meaning  to  de- 
fend her  boy  with  her  life.  Her  first  source  of  anxiety 
was  for  Kamehameha,  who  fortunately  was  absent  at  the 
cataracts,  bathing  in  the  lava  basins  in  the  dash  of  the 
water-fall.  Pemilani  was  sent  at  once  to  hasten  his  return 
to  the  heidU)  taking  his  spear,  in  addition  to  the  dagger 
he  constantly  wore,  and  to  bid  him  keep  constantly  upon 
his  guard  against  Pepo,  the  pepehi.  A  few  strong  slave 
guards  were  ordered  out  to  meet  their  young  master  as 
he  returned,  and  to  be  guided  by  his  wishes.  Another 
wahine  was  sent  hurriedly  down  the  river  to  invite  a  half 
dozen  of  the  old  war  chiefs  to  the  rescue,  with  orders  to 
come  armed  and  to  act  on  the  instant  in  case  of  need. 

The  gigantic  old  priest  was  apparently  in  the  best  of 
humor  ;  gracious  to  every  one,  most  affectionate  and 

172 


The  Man-Killer,  Pepo.  173 

smiling  to  the  Priestess.  But  none  were  deceived  by  his 
manner.  Pepehi's  pleasantry  was  well  known  to  be 
more  ominous  than  his  rage. 

Wailele  received  her  half-brother  with  becoming  dig- 
nity, bridling  her  rising  anger  until  her  guards  should  be 
collected  and  Kamehameha  have  time  to  return.  Gladly 
humoring  his  affability,  she  attended  to  his  polite  de- 
mands for  breakfast,  in  order  to  gain  time  and  to  delay 
the  coming  crisis  until  she  could  meet  it  with  a  stronger 
hand. 

Having  finished  his  deliberate  meal,  growling  a  little 
because  of  the  insufficient  amount  of  awa  furnished  him, 
he  asked  the  Priestess  into  the  heidu  for  a  private  inter- 
view. As  Wailele  had  received  information  that  four  of 
the  high  chiefs  were  in  sight  on  the  river,  and  would  soon 
land,  and  as  Pepehi  continued  his  efforts  to  quiet  her 
indignation,  she  led  the  way  into  the  greater  seclusion  of 
the  temple. 

Avoiding  all  allusion  to  the  quarrel  with  his  nephew, 
the  priest  came  at  once  to  the  secondary  object  of  his 
visit — his  primary  object  being  murder  if  he  could  not 
carry  his  point, — urging  with  many  arguments  the  neces- 
sity of  Kamehame'ha's  becoming  the  priest  of  Puukeekee. 
From  this  exalted  position,  he  said,  the  young  prince 
could  best  make  his  way  in  the  world. 

Listening  with  impatience  to  the  end,  the  arrogant 
Priestess  replied  that  this  scheme  did  not  accord  with 
her  wishes  nor  with  the  ambition  of  her  boy,  and  after 
further  decided  protest,  sternly  averred  that  she  would 
rather  bury  her  son  than  consent  to  have  him  live  at 
Puukeekee. 

The  sunken  eyes  of  the  old  Kahuna  gleamed  with  a 
lurid  light  as  Wailele  let  loose  the  pent  volcano  of  her 


Kamdhame'ha  the  Great. 

wrath  upon  his  aged  head.  His  tall,  gaunt  figure  swayed 
and  writhed  with  suppressed  anger,  as  he  listened  to  her 
savage  rejection  of  his  beastly  companionship  for  her 
noble  boy.  Crouching  lower  and  lower  with  a  scarce 
restrained  impulse  to  spring  upon  her,  Pepehi  clutched 
his  dagger  with  nervous  frenzy,  contemplating  the  use  of 
his  one  unfailing  argument  to  end  a  debate.  But  recov- 
ering his  self-control,  he  cast  a  withering  look  upon 
Wailele  and  turned  to  leave  the  heidu.  Kamehameha 
entered  hurriedly  at  that  moment,  with  an  angry  frown 
upon  his  face.  Turning  back  to  Wailele  with  a  malicious 
expression  on  his  wrinkled  visage,  Pepehi  cried  : 

"  Here  comes  your  proud  poolua  !  If  his  precious  life 
is  spared  make  of  him  what  you " 

Further  insult  was  stopped  by  a  powerful  blow  from 
Kamehameha.  The  gigantic  priest  tumbled  headlong 
upon  the  stone  pavement  like  a  felled  ox. 

With  the  howl  of  a  maniac,  the  ferocious  Kahuna  called 
aloud  for  Pepo,  as  he  sprang  up  and  drew  his  long  dag- 
ger. The  two  combatants  sprang  at  each  other  with  fire- 
flashing  eyes  that  meant  a  death  grapple  for  both. 

With  the  bound  of  a  tigress  alarmed  for  her  young, 
Wailele  sprang  between  them  at  the  risk  of  receiving  both 
their  blows.  Grasping  the  uplifted  dagger-hands  of  the 
two  by  the  wrist,  with  the  supernatural  strength  of  a 
giant  mother  battling  for  her  child,  she  shook  the  weapons 
from  their  strong  grasp,  as  if  they  had  been  children  ; 
calling  fiercely  to  Pepehi  : 

"  Hold  !  villain,  murderer  !  Would  you  strike  a  royal 
Alii — the  god-born  son  of  your  king  ?  Down  on  your 
knees  and  ask  pardon  of  your  future  lord  and  master,  or 
the  woman's  hand  that  disarms  you  shall  crush  you  to 
the  earth  and  trample  you  beneath  her  feet  !  " 


Pele  Rebuking  the  Priest.  175 

While  her  arm  was  raised  in  act  to  strike  the  mad 
priest  down,  lo  !  a  sudden  whirr  of  invisible  wings  filled 
the  temple,  as  it  were  of  an  angel  hovering  in  their 
midst.  A  blinding  radiance  of  divine  glory  burst  forth 
and  filled  the  place,  admonishing  them  of  the  awful  pres- 
ence of  a  god. 

It  was  Pele  who  stood  before  them  !  By  the  lightning 
flashes  of  her  yellow  hair  ;  by  her  blue  eyes,  more  beau- 
tiful than  the  stars  ;  by  the  divine  beauty  of  her  person, 
softly  wrapped  about  with  a  garment  of  lambent  flame 
golden  as  her  tresses,  they  knew  that  the  supreme  woman- 
goddess  of  Hawaii  was  there.  Priest,  Priestess,  and 
royal  Alii  together  fell  upon  their  knees  under  the  blind- 
ing light.  A  hush  as  of  death  filled  the  temple  ;  then 
the  dread  goddess  spoke  to  the  awed  supplicants  at  her 
feet: 

"  Peace  !  peace  !  "  she  cried,  with  a  voice  that  vibrated 
through  Kamehameha's  soul  like  strains  of  music.  "  Be- 
hold !  you  are  in  the  presence  of  your  god  !  Hush  your 
brawling  passions,  and  hearken  to  my  words.  Let  every 
voice  proclaim  this  Alii  as  beloved  of  Pele, — *  god-born  ' 
in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  noble  monarch  and  pious 
priestess.  Greet  him  henceforth  as  '  High  Priest  of 
Mukini,'  a  priest  outranking  every  living  kahtina  in  the 
land! 

"  Hearken  !  that  you  may  hear.  Whom  the  gods  love 
shall  be  exalted  above  all  men  in  wisdom,  and  become 
foremost  in  war.  From  this  hour,  neither  poisoned  dag- 
ger of  treacherous  priest  nor  spear  of  honest  foeman  shall 
pierce  his  heart,  because  of  this  divine  decree. 

"  Priestess  of  Mukini,  send  forth  the  young  Alii  into 
the  world.  Events  which  will  instruct  him  for  his  future 
mission  are  about  to  happen  ;  events  without  name,  full 


Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

of  unspeakable  wonder.  Men  unknown  to  our  land  are 
approaching  ;  people  with  strange  white  faces  are  com- 
ing in  mighty  ocean  craft  to  land  upon  our  shores. 
Great  wars  are  also  impending,  in  which  Kameliameha 
must  take  part.  He  must  become  skilled  above  all  war- 
riors, against  the  happy  end  to  come  when  all  wars  shall 
cease  forever." 

Then  turning  sternly  to  the  old  priest,  who  grovelled 
and  trembled  on  the  pavement,  Pele  expressed  her  dis- 
approbation of  himself  and  his  doings  : 

"  Pepehi  of  Puukeekee  !  You  have  lived  a  life  useless 
to  Hawaii  and  displeasing  to  the  gods.  Henceforth 
keep  strictly  to  your  mountain  heidu,  and  come  not  here 
again,  you  nor  your/^/fo",  into  the  sacred  valley  of  Wai- 
manu.  In  the  moment  when  you  defame  these  noble  ones 
of  Mukini — either  by  word  or  deed, — in  that  moment 
you  shall  die,  shrivelled  instantly  to  a  fiery  cinder. 

"  And  you,  beloved  mortals  !  Aloha  oe,  Wailele  !  Aloha 
oe,  loved  young  king  !  " 

The  beautiful  vision  of  deity  wavered  and  swayed  like 
a  strong  expiring  flame,  and  was  gone.  A  floating  perfume 
as  of  sandalwood  incense  only  remained.  Wailele  stood 
proudly  by  her  young  King  and  Priest,  her  eyes  filled 
with  proud  tears  of  joy.  A  noble  exultation  glowed 
on  Kamehameha's  face  at  being  thus  sanctified  by  the 
supreme  god  of  the  land.  The  contrite  old  Kahuna,  dis- 
armed of  his  dagger,  knelt  at  his  feet.  Extending  his 
hands  in  supplication,  he  cried  out  : 

"  Praise  to  Pele  !  My  old  eyes  behold  a  great  future 
for  Kamehame'ha,  the  warrior,  the  conqueror,  the  king. 
There  rises  before  me  a  vision  filled  with  the  glory  of 
his  deeds.  I  behold  great  armies  thundering  into  battle 
at  his  bidding.  The  mighty  kings  of  the  isles  bend  in 


The  Dead  Man-Killer.  1 77 

supplication  before  him  ;  but  the  clemency  of  a  con- 
queror must  be  tempered  with  daggers  for  the  uncon- 
querable. I  behold  a  canoe  full  of  royal  chiefs  lying 
dead  on  the  boiling  sands  of  Kawaihae.*  A  dead  king 
lies  among  them,  and  it  is  the  will  of  Pele  ;  for  together 
the  royal  dead  are  piled  on  the  altar  of  a  new  heidu, 
not  yet  built  with  hands. 

"  What  vision  is  this  ?  Stupendous  battles  come  ; 
they  are  fought  with  weapons  of  fire  and  thunder,  that 
scatter  the  fleets  of  combined  kings  as  birds  are  scattered 
by  a  storm.  How  fast  the  island  kingdoms  fall  !  I  be- 
hold but  one  kingdom  and  one  king  ;  it  is  for  the  first 
time  in  a  thousand  years.  The  altars  of  the  '  Eight 
Isles  '  cease  to  smoke  as  of  old,  and  a  hallowed  peace 
pervades  all  the  lands,  such  glory  as  dwells  only  among 
the  stars. 

"  This  is  my  vision.  This  is  the  prophecy  which 
flames  up  before  me,  vivid  as  the  night-fires  on  Mauna 
Loa.  Aloha  f  I  go  to  Puukeekee,  never  more  to  return 
to  the  valley  of  my  birth.  It  is  the  will  of  Pele  ;  it  is  the 
command  of  the  gods." 

Ere  the  crushed  and  penitent  old  priest  went  from 
among  them  forever,  Wailele  came  generously  forward 
to  greet  him,  blessing  him  with  tearful  eyes  for  his 
prophecy.  For  none  other  in  all  the  land  could  see  with 
more  prophetic  vision  than  Pepehi  in  his  moments  of 
sober  inspiration. 

Kamehameha  gave  the  Kahrina  his  hand  in  full  forgive- 
ness of  his  revengeful  mission  to  Mukini.  The  young 
Alii  disclosed  the  newly  awakened  pride  of  his  heart  in 
his  glad  utterance  to  the  aged  prophet  who  still  knelt 
before  him. 

*  Sulphur  water  bubbles  through  the  sand  at  high- water  mark,  near 
the  heidu  where  Keoiia  was  slain.  (Ellis,  p.  376.) 


178  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

"  Aloha,  Kahuna  !  You  have  made  a  man's  heart  beat 
in  a  boy's  breast.  Your  words  have  but  faintly  de- 
scribed my  own  dreams  of  greatness.  None  but  this 
darling  mother  knows  how  lofty  are  my  plans  for  my 
country.  I  shall  accomplish  them  all  !  The  triumph  of 
my  valor  in  battle  shall  make  a  peaceful  land,  wherein 
old  men  shall  lie  down  on  the  highways  in  safety."* 

Fire  flashed  from  the  eyes  of  the  stern  old  Kahuna  as 
his  own  keen  insight  followed  the  vaulting  ambition  and 
the  seer-like  vision  of  the  young  chief.  Pepehi  rose  up 
and  departed,  ashamed  of  his  mission  to  Mukini,  and 
crushed  by  the  rebuke  from  his  god,  yet  kindling  with  a 
glow  of  pride  in  Pele's  adoption  of  his  nephew.  As  he 
came  out  upon  the  veranda,  followed  by  Wailele  and 
Kamehameha,  he  meekly  called  for  Pepo,  and  gathered 
his  tapa  about  him  to  depart.  Four  of  the  grim  old 
warriors  of  the  valley  were  sitting  quietly  upon  the 
veranda  eating  raw  fish  and  poi.  One  of  them  delayed 
his  repast  long  enough  to  point  contemptuously  down 
the  path.  There  lay  Pepo's  body  righteously  transfixed 
by  four  huge  spears.  He  had  made  a  persistent  attempt 
to  rush  into  the  heidu  at  Pepehi's  call,  and  received  his 
death. 

For  one  instant  the  fierce  old  Kahuna  forgot  himself, 
and  turning  furiously  upon  the  chiefs,  savagely  de- 
manded : 

"Who  bid  you  do  harm  to  my  best /^<?/«' / " 

"  Your  master  !  "  gruffly  answered  the  four  warriors  in 
concert,  pointing  to  Kamehameha,  who  bowed  his  head 
in  full  acknowledgment,  and  added  : 

"You  sent  Pepo  and  another  pepehi  upon  my  track 
yesterday.  This  one  I  have  slain ;  the  other  I  will 
attend  to  when  we  meet." 

*  See  Jarves'  History,  pp.  — 


The  Poisoned  Dagger.  179 

Without  a  word  or  even  an  angry  gesture  in  reply,  the 
old  priest  drew  his  poisoned  dagger,  and  presenting  its 
hilt  to  the  young  Alii,  fell  submissively  upon  his  knees, 
and  bared  his  shaggy  breast  that  Kamehameha  might 
kill  him  for  his  crime.  But  when  he  declined  to  take 
vengeance,  Pepehi  begged  his  young  lord  to  accept  the 
dagger  as  a  gift,  it  being  the  rarest  weapon  among  all  the 
islands.  He  took  it  with  pleasure,  as  the  most  valuable 
heirloom  belonging  to  the  descendants  of  Paao. 

With  bowed  head  and  humble  submission  the  old  man 
rose  to  depart,  first  begging  the  war-chiefs  to  dispose  of 
his  dead  friend  and  fellow-murderer,  who  had  furnished 
Puukeekee  with  hundreds  of  victims.  Seeking  the  river 
he  paddled  down  the  stream  alone  in  the  canoe  which 
brought  him,  and  disappeared  from  the  upper  valley, 
never  to  return. 

The  wise  old  seer's  vision  had  included  more  than  he 
chose  to  tell.  He  had  seen  that  ere  long  a  strong  hand 
would  restrain  such  murderous  doings  as  his  at  Puukee- 
kee, and  that  he  must  amend  his  ways  in  time.  He  saw 
that  his  hours  of  riotous  wassail  must  henceforth  be  in 
secret,  and  his  murders  less  open  and  defiant  as  his  years 
rolled  on. 


XX. 

KAM£HAM£HA  SETS  OUT  TO  CLAIM  HIS  BIRTHRIGHT. 

THE  disclosure  of  his  royal  parentage  having  been 
made  known  to  him,  it  was  now  deemed  best  for 
Kamehameha  to  go  at  once  to  Waipio  and  present  himself 
for  recognition,  as  every  thing  yet  depended  upon  the 
king's  acknowledgment  of  his  god-born  boy.  As  Kalani- 
opuu  had  a  son  at  court,  a  dissolute  and  rebellious  youth 
a  few  years  younger  than  Kamehameha,  it  remained  to  be 
seen  how  a  sudden  and  new  accession  to  the  royal  family 
would  be  received,  not  only  by  the  king  and  his  several 
queens,  but  by  the  heir-apparent  himself,  who  had  more 
than  once  been  the  nucleus  of  ill-assorted  conspiracies 
against  the  king. 

The  day  after  Pepehi's  departure  was  given  to  prepa- 
rations for  Kamehameha's  trip  to  Waipio.  The  high 
chiefs  were  informed  of  all  that  had  passed  in  the  heidu, 
of  Pele's  startling  disclosure  about  Lono's  coming,  and  of 
the  impending  wars  to  follow.  It  was  the  advice  of  the 
chiefs  that  Kamehameha  should  take  with  him  a  com- 
pany of  fifty  young  chiefs  of  the  highest  rank  in  the  val- 
ley, as  a  fit  following  for  a  royal  alii  when  presented  to 
the  king ;  and  they  took  it  upon  themselves  to  muster 
the  young  warriors  and  make  choice  of  those  best  fitted 
to  go. 

Most  of  the  coming  night  was  spent  by  the  Priestess 
and  her  son  in  maturing  plans  for  the  future.  Great 

180 


Unearthing  the  Treasure.  1 8 1 

was  the  astonishment  of  the  young  chief  to  learn  he  was 
a  royal  alii,  not  only  by  his  mother's  side,  but  by  his 
father's  also.  But  his  delight  soon  gave  place  to  the 
sagacious  desire  to  gain  all  the  knowledge  that  would  be 
needed  in  the  deceptive  world  he  was  about  to  enter. 
Especially  did  he  wish  to  acquire  appropriate  keys  of 
conduct  toward  the  ruling  minds  at  court,  according  to 
the  characteristics  of  each.  Having  unlimited  confidence 
in  the  wisdom  of  his  much-loved  mother,  endless  were 
the  questions  that  he  asked  about  the  king  and  his  great 
warriors.  This  subtle  method  of  dealing  with  men  re- 
mained a  leading  trait  in  Kamehameha's  character 
through  life. 

The  "  Feast  of  the  Kings  "  was  considered  an  auspi- 
cious time  for  Kamehameha's  purposes,  as  now  he  could 
avail  himself  of  the  only  probable  opportunity  of  his  life 
to  meet  the  haughty  rulers  of  the  Leeward  kingdoms. 
Kalaniopuu,  too,  had  been  informed  of  Pele's  oracle  of 
an  immediately  impending  war  ;  and  this  made  the  pres- 
ent time  still  more  fitting  for  the  chief-boy's  presentation 
to  the  king. 

At  the  earliest  approach  of  dawn  the  household  of 
Mukini  was  called  to  worship  in  the  heidu.  An  ilio  poll 
was  sacrificed  to  Pele  on  the  occasion  of  their  young 
high-priest's  departure.  Fervent  was  the  worship  and 
heart-felt  the  songs  of  praise  around  the  altar  and  in  the 
holy-of-holies  on  that  eventful  morning,  for  a  more  lov- 
ing priesthood  was  not  known  throughout  the  Eight 
Isles. 

At  length  the  worship  was  ended,  and  Wailele  ordered 
the  heidu  to  be  cleared,  that  none  should  intrude  upon 
her  last  instructions  to  her  boy.  Placing  a  double  line  of 
tabu  flags  at  the  entrance  to  the  heidu,  Wailele  brought 


1 82  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

forth  from  their  hiding-place  beneath  the  anu  the  king's 
spear  and  palaoa.  Putting  the  royal  insignia  about  the 
Alii's  neck,  and  placing  his  father's  richly  carved  spear 
in  his  hand,  the  beautiful  priest-mother  looked  upon  her 
prince  with  mingled  tears  of  pride  and  joy — tears  that 
were  never  forfeited  by  any  act  of  his  life.  Kamehame- 
ha's  subdued  delight  was  exceeded  by  his  sense  of  the 
momentous  occasion  ;  for  now  he  was  adorned  with  the 
rarest  insignia  of  rank  in  the  nation. 

The  time  was  approaching  for  mother  and  son  to 
separate,  and  perhaps  to  part  forever.  In  such  turbulent 
times  there  was  no  telling  the  fatal  turn  that  events  might 
take  when  a  young  man,  almost  unknown,  should  go 
forth  to  claim  his  birthright  of  a  king.  Though  Ka- 
laniopuu  was  believed  to  be  the  most  noble  of  all  the 
Hawaiian  kings,  yet  so  arbitrary  and  cruel  were  most  of 
the  rulers  of  the  day,  that  if  he  should  not  be  pleased 
with  his  new-found  heir,  it  would  require  but  a  look 
askance  to  his  guard,  and  a  spear-thrust  would  instantly 
end  the  claim  upon  his  paternity. 

With  such  sad  thoughts  in  her  mind,  Wailele  called 
her  much-loved  chief-boy  into  the  holy-of-holies  to  im- 
part her  last  prayerful  instructions  before  they  parted. 

"  Oh  !  my  child,  this  will  indeed  be  an  eventful  day 
for  us.  Before  the  sun  goes  down  you  will  either  be  the 
alii  wohi — a  chief  next  the  king — of  my  great  good  king, 
whom  your  mother  has  loved  better  than  her  life  for 
twenty  years,  or — alas  !  dear  boy,  must  I  tell  you  the 
dreadful  alternative  of  kings  ?  If  Kalaniopuu  is  not  in 
the  mood  to  receive  you,  death  will  be  dealt  to  you  on 
the  instant.  Watch  every  look  of  the  king.  It  is  a  face 
never  to  be  forgotten — lofty,  noble,  tender,  and  loving  in 
his  mood.  But  if  that  kingly  face  is  turned  coldly  away 


Die  Bravely.  183 

when  you  greet  him,  then  prepare  to  die  manfully  ;  there 
will  be  no  appeal. 

"  Remember,  above  every  other  thought,  that  Wailele 
will  live  happier  to  know  that  the  chief  that  she  bore  can 
die  as  becomes  his  rank.  Die  not  only  courageously, 
but  with  a  smile  on  your  lips  for  the  hand  that  inflicts 
the  blow  ;  a  generous  word  even  for  the  king  who  bids 
you  die. 

"  But  if  you  are  accepted  as  the  king's  son,  then  an 
ordeal  as  hard  as  death  awaits  you.  A  thousand  perils 
will  hedge  you  about  ;  treacherous  hands  lurk  every- 
where to  kill  the  claimant  to  a  throne.  Counsel  with 
your  father  how  best  to  conduct  yourself.  Show  only  a 
becoming  joy  at  your  success  ;  a  modest  pride  best  be- 
comes the  hero  of  Mukini.  Demean  yourself  pleasantly 
to  all,  and  be  not  arrogant  to  those  beneath  you.  Trust 
not  the  friendship  of  prince,  brother,  or  any  near  relative 
of  the  king's,  for  you  will  be  looked  upon  as  an  intruder, 
and  plotted  against  with  deadly  jealousy. 

"  My  son,  listen  now  to  my  final  instructions,  for  life  or 
death  depends  wholly  on  how  you  fulfil  them.  Land 
from  the  river  abreast  of  the  palace,  and  bid  your  com- 
panions lie  on  their  paddles  not  far  from  the  shore  and 
await  your  coming.  Go  straight  to  the  palace  without 
spying  to  the  right  or  left.  Speak  to  no  one  except  to 
ask  :  '  Where  is  the  king  ? ' 

"  As  you  approach  the  palace  from  the  river  you  will 
see  the  puka  pukaka — a  private  door  of  the  king — to  the 
right  of  the  main  entrance. 

"  A  numerous  guard  at  the  entrance  of  the  enclosure 
will  present  their  spears  and  demand  your  business. 
Answer  :  '  Where  is  the  king  ? '  and  press  steadily  upon 
their  spears  with  an  unquailing  eye  ;  for  armed  men  are 
like  fierce  dogs,  only  harming  those  who  fear  them. 


1 84  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

"Across  the  path  leading  into  the  enclosure,  a  little 
distance  before  the  puka  pukaka,  is  extended  the  sacred 
cord  of  Ahaula.  Whoever  passes  that  tabu  line,  should 
the  king  extend  his  hand  from  the  door,  may  live.  If 
the  king  averts  his  face — he  dies.  Only  royal  aliis  and 
the  high-priest  are  privileged  here. 

"After  passing  the  guard  some  will  call  to  you  :  '  Taint ! 
Tabii  ! '  others  will  cry  in  their  amazement  to  see  you 
enter  :  '  'T  is  death  !  'T  is  death  !  '  Heed  them  not,  but 
pass  the  tabu  line,  lift  the  curtain,  and  enter  the  sacred 
door  with  a  fearless,  modest  bearing. 

"  The  king  will  be  sitting  on  his  couch,  just  awakened 
from  slumber.  Go  straight  to  him  with  a  calm,  respect- 
ful bearing,  meeting  him  unflinchingly  eye  to  eye.  To 
his  question  :  '  Who  are  you  ? '  point  to  your  insignia 
and  reply  in  the  Ka  Ke  language  :  '  The  name  of  this 
palaoa  is  Umi.  That  is  the  name  you  gave  your  child, 
when  Wailele  of  Mukini  and  the  king  prayed  to  Pele  for 
a  son/  To  his  question  :  'What  is  the  password  belong- 
ing to  y OUT  palaoa  ?  '  say  :  '  Kulia  i  ka  Nuu  !  ' 

"  Discourse  with  the  king  on  these  secret  topics  only 
in  the  Ka  Ke  (court  language).  If  you  live  to  accom- 
plish this  much,  you  will  be  accepted  by  the  king,  and 
a  sure  path  to  a  kingdom  is  before  you  ;  this  he  promised 
for  the  time  when  \hzpalaoa  should  be  restored  to  him." 

Her  prophetic  instructions  over,  the  austerity  of  the 
Priestess  gave  way.  The  sorrowing  mother  clasped  her 
noble  boy  with  a  frenzy  of  affection.  Holding  him  at 
arm's  length  before  her,  she  endeavored  to  trace  the 
loved  lineaments  of  the  father  in  his  manly  face.  The 
affectionate  chief  clung  to  the  beautiful  mother  of  whom 
he  was  so  proud,  and  promised  that  every  act  of  his  life 
should  be  worthy  of  her  love. 


The  Sad  Parting.  1 8  5 

"  Dear,  dear  mother  !  you  have  given  me  a  strong 
heart  and  an  arm  of  power.  You  have  filled  my  soul 
with  great  thoughts  that  lift  me  to  the  skies.  You  have 
made  your  boy  wise  above  his  years,  and  as  good  as 
poor  human  nature  permits  in  this  land  of  bloodshed 
and  treachery. 

"  Watch  me,  darling  mother,  as  I  come  to  manhood  ! 
Every  great  act  of  my  life  will  be  prompted  by  you.  In 
the  hour  of  battle,  listen  to  hear  my  swift  blows  fall  ; 
behold  me  battling  for  Wailele  and  Hawaii.  Never 
shall  you  blush  for  your  future  warrior,  statesman,  or 
king." 

Leaving  the  heiati,  the  two  walked  sadly  down  to  the 
river  together,  followed  by  the  six  weeping  priest-girls, 
two  of  whom,  though  double  his  own  age,  became 
Kamehameha's  wives  in  after  years.  There  they  parted. 
A  light  canoe  was  in  waiting  for  the  young  Alii,  in 
which  Kinau  and  his  loved  Pemilani  took  him  down  to 
Tribute  Rock,  where  every  noble  chief-boy  of  the  valley 
had  been  invited  to  meet  him,  having  been  notified  by 
the  old  war  chiefs  of  his  final  departure  for  Waipio. 
By  their  advice  Kamehameha  had  concluded  to  take  a 
company  of  expert  warriors  with  him  ;  this  should  have 
the  effect  of  making  his  coming  the  more  welcome  to 
the  king. 

Joyous  was  the  greeting  of  the  chiefs,  as  the  Alii  came 
in  view  from  the  forest  covert,  swiftly  paddled  by  the 
wahines.  Landing  at  the  grounds  of  the  high  chief  of 
the  valley,  Alapai,  of  Waimanu,  came  forward  to  greet 
him,  and  presented  to  him  fifty  strong  young  chiefs, 
chosen  from  hundreds  who  wished  to  go  with  their  royal 
leader  and  fight  for  the  king.  Several  of  these  boys 
became  great  war  chiefs  and  able  counsellors  for  their 
future  king. 


1 86  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

Briefly  addressing  the  multitude,  Kamehameha  told 
them  something  of  his  ambitious  views  for  his  country. 
He  promised  Alapai  to  lead  his  company  of  nobles 
where  blows  were  thickest  in  the  hour  of  battle.  He 
charged  the  other  young  warriors  to  prepare  for  the  wars 
of  which  Pele  had  forewarned  them,  as  only  by  the 
skilled  use  of  weapons  could  they  hope  to  make  them- 
selves a  name. 

The  water  being  too  shoal  for  his  large  double  canoe  to 
come  up  the  river,  his  party  took  small  canoes  and  pad- 
dled down  to  the  beach,  followed  by  thousands  of  loving 
friends,  running  gayly  along  the  river  bank,  cheering  the 
chosen  fifty  as  they  ran. 

At  the  shore  he  found  the  finest  war  canoe  belonging 
to  the  valley,  a  present  from  one  of  the  great  chiefs  to 
the  royal  Alii. 

Thousands  of  people  were  gathered  to  see  him  em- 
bark. The  canoe  was  pushed  out  into  the  river  mouth, 
and  the  fifty  paddlers  shook  their  flashing  paddle  blades 
in  the  sunlight.  From  cliff  to  cliff  the  whole  rang  with 
the  cry  of  "  Aloha !  Aloha ! "  Nor  did  the  farewell 
shouts  cease  till  the  great  canoe  had  passed  out  through 
the  furious  breakers  into  the  bright  blue  sea  beyond  ; 
then  Kamehameha  turned  his  prow  southward  toward 
Waipio. 


XXI. 

COMMOTION    AT    WAIPIO. 

DURING  the  first  two  days  of  the  "  Feast  of  the 
Kings,"  the  guests  of  Kalaniopuu  had  occupied 
themselves  with  various  athletic  games.  Whether  pur- 
posely or  not,  the  dangerous  exercise  of  spear-darting 
had  so  far  been  avoided,  perhaps  in  fear  of  exciting  the 
deadly  jealousies  that  rankle  between  recent  enemies. 
But  all  had  passed  so  pleasantly  thus  far,  that  the  third 
day,  it  was  agreed,  should  be  given  up  to  spear  practice, 
and  to  other  skilled  trials  of  warlike  weapons.  Great 
enjoyment  was  anticipated  from  witnessing  the  hoo-palau, 
or  single  combat,  between  some  of  the  gigantic  athletes 
present.  Several  of  the  chiefs  were  as  formidable  com- 
batants as  the  world  had  seen.  The  Polynesians  ex- 
celled all  other  races  in  physical  strength  * ;  and  these 
were  men  of  three  hundred  pounds'  weight,  yet  graceful 
and  agile,  with  iron  muscles  and  strength  to  fling  a  spear 
clear  through  a  man. 

A  number  of  exciting  tests  of  skill  between  the  giants 
had  taken  place,  and  the  grounds  were  given  up  for  a 
while  to  men  of  less  note,  while  the  great  lordlings  lay 
about  in  the  shade  of  the  fruit-trees  watching  the  sport. 
During  this  interval  Kalaniopuu  went  to  take  his  accus- 

*  Compare  Paul  Topinard's  "Anthropology"  (Bartley's  transla- 
tion), and  Jarves'  History,  p.  46.  A  stature  upward  of  six  feet  six 
inches,  and  three  hundred  pounds'  weight,  were  not  uncommon. 

187 


1 88  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

tomed  bath  and  to  receive  his  lomi-lomi.  It  was  perhaps 
an  hour  after  the  king  had  left  the  company  that  a  sud- 
den commotion  took  place  at  the  mouth  of  the  valley. 
A  swarm  of  women  and  children,  mounting  the  great 
sand-hills  along  the  shore,  lustily  cheered  some  new- 
comers, who  paddled  their  war  canoe  with  amazing 
swiftness  up  the  river.  Abreast  of  the  palace  their 
leader  leapt  ashore,  and  the  canoe  lay  off  in  the  stream 
waiting  his  return. 

At  first  this  incident  did  not  greatly  disturb  the  sports 
of  the  combatants.  But  a  ripple  of  greater  interest  soon 
pervaded  the  whole  company,  until  kings,  chiefs,  and 
kanakas  were  alike  alert  with  curiosity  about  the  strange 
events  that  were  taking  place  at  the  palace.  Word  was 
finally  brought  that  a  war  canoe  had  arrived  from  Wai- 
manu,  bringing  a  company  of  noble  chief-boys  from 
nineteen  to  twenty  years  old, — young  warriors  come  to 
offer  their  services  to  the  king,  and  to  enroll  themselves 
among  the  war  chiefs  of  the  land. 

But  the  mystery  which  had  aroused  especial  curiosity 
was  not  that  a  body  of  young  chiefs  had  come  to  Waipio 
to  exhibit  their  war  skill.  This  was  not  an  uncommon 
occurrrence.  But  the  young  leader,  it  was  believed,  was 
now  holding  secret  conclave  with  the  king.  This  was 
the  real  cause  of  excitement. 

The  few  who  had  seen  the  agile  young  Alii  leap  from 
his  canoe,  and,  without  kokolo*  walk  unterrified  and  un- 
announced straight  into  the  palace  by  the  sacred  puka 
pukaka  (private  door  of  the  king),  avowed  that  the  god- 
born  chief,  recognized  as  such  by  his  nakedness,  was 
deterred  neither  by  the  spears  of  the  guard,  the  warning 

*  Kokolo,  the  crawling  posture  required  of  inferiors  when  ap- 
proaching a  great  chief  or  his  residence. 


Commotion  at  Court.  189 

cries  of  the  priests,  nor  yet  the  sacred  tabd  line,  over 
which  no  mortal  but  Kiwalao,  Holoae  the  priest,  and 
Keeaumoku  the  aliituohi,  dare  pass. 

It  was  said  that  the  arrogant  motion  of  his  hand  alone 
sufficed  to  appall  the  guard,  who  uttered  the  cry  :  "  He 
akua  ia  !  He  akua  ia  !  "  (he  is  a  god  !),  and  dropped 
their  spear-points  in  dread  from  his  naked  breast,  as  they 
fell  respectfully  back  to  let  him  pass. 

Even  the  sacred  cord  of  Ahaula — the  tabti  line — was 
contemptuously  trampled  upon,  and  without  an  instant's 
hesitation  the  proud  Alii  strode  into  the  presence  of  the 
sleeping  king,  where  he  was  seen  standing  erect  and 
undismayed  before  the  astonished  kiaipoo  (guard  during 
sleep),  who  failed  to  kill  him  as  he  ought.  The  aston- 
ished informer  added  :  "  I  tell  you,  chiefs,  he  seemed 
like  a  god  from  the  under  world,  come  to  receive  hom- 
age from  kings  ;  not  like  one  who  would  pay  fealty  to  the 
proudest  monarch  of  the  "  Eight  Isles." 

When  the  excited  speaker  left  the  palace  grounds,  the 
pakut  or  curtain,  had  been  dropped  before  the  door,  and 
the  stranger  was  still  closeted  with  Kalaniopuu,  the 
kiaipoo  having  been  sent  out  to  guard  the  private  door, 
with  orders  to  deny  access  to  all  comers.  Even  Holoae, 
the  venerable  high-priest,  had  been  turned  back. 

The  eloquent  Naihe  now  made  his  appearance,  and 
kings  and  chiefs  eagerly  gathered  about  him  for  the 
news.  He  had  tried  to  glean  information  from  the  chiefs 
in  the  canoe.  They  had  not  landed,  but  lay  out  in  the 
river,  their  prow  turned  seaward,  awaiting  their  leader. 
They  were  not  communicative,  and  would  only  say  : 

"  We  have  come  from  Waimanu  with  our  leader, 
Kamehameha,  the  god-born  chief.  His  business  is  with 
the  king,  and  ours  to  wait  his  orders  to  return  or  remain 


190  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

as  he  pleases."  To  this  brief  information  Naihe  added  : 
"  I  saw  the  chief.  A  grand  Alii,  looking  to  be  twenty  ; 
strong,  graceful,  and  active,  carrying  his  head  like  a  mon- 
arch. He  has  an  eye  that  pierces  to  the  soul ;  it  thrills 
the  heart  with  admiration  of  his  proud  bearing  or  of  his 
god-born  origin.  He  is  naked  as  a  fish.  He  carries  a 
spear  carved  fitly  for  a  king.  He  wears  a  royal  decora- 
tion about  his  neck,  a  large  palaoa,  attached  to  a  costly 
lei  of  the  royal  yellow." 

"  He  deserves  to  be  flung  from  your  highest  pdh 
where  Kanaawa  was  slain  for  such  an  intrusion,  a  few 
years  ago,"  said  the  scornful  Kahekili. 

"  How  dares  he  thus  enter  the  presence  of  Kalanio- 
puu,  if  he  is  not  a  ruler  in  the  land  ?  "  questioned  Keao. 

"  It  remains  a  mystery,"  said  Naihe,  "  for  he  trod  down 
the  tabii  line  and  entered  the  sacred  precinct  as  if  he 
were  Pepehi  himself." 

"  Whoever  he  is,"  remarked  Keeaumoku,  "  he  knows 
his  right,  whatever  it  may  be,  and  Kalaniopuu  has  recog- 
nized him,  or  we  should  have  seen  him  flung  from  yon- 
der cliff  before  now." 

"  Here  comes  the  prince.  Perhaps  he  can  solve  the 
problem.  Who  is  the  new-comer,  Kiwalao  ? "  asked 
Naihe. 

"  We  have  just  come  from  fishing  in  the  upper  valley. 
I  only  know  there  is  a  malahini  (stranger)  among  us. 
The  news  run  past  us  over  the  valley  swift  as  a  wail  for 
the  dead.  I  '11  go  and  look  up  the  matter." 

The  swaggering,  dissolute  youth  sauntered  down  the 
river  path  toward  the  palace,  intent  upon  solving  the 
mystery. 


XXII. 

LIFE    OR    DEATH    FOR    THE    KING'S   SON. 

WHEN  Kamehameha  landed  he  had  no  need  to 
ask  where  the  palace  was,  or  if  the  king  was 
within  ;  for  the  strong  array  of  guards  seen  in  front  of 
the  enclosure  was  sufficient  answer  to  his  mental  query. 
Briskly  approaching  the  line  of  spears  which  barred  the 
puka  pukaka,  the  fearless  young  Alii  remembered  the 
prophetic  words  of  his  mother  : 

"  Go  straight  to  the  king,  looking  neither  to  the  right 
nor  left.  Show  no  fear  of  the  loud  warnings  of  priests, 
nor  the  threatening  weapons  of  guards,  for  they  harm 
only  those  who  fear  them." 

His  dark  eyes  were  lighted  by  the  fearless  soul  within, 
as  he  strode  on  exultant,  in  the  hope  of  beholding  his 
royal  father.  Almost  to  his  surprise  the  twenty  threat- 
ening spears  parted  and  let  him  pass  ;  the  guards  fell 
back  with  trembling  and  fear,  exclaiming  : 

"  He  akua  ia  !  He  akua  ia  !  "  Made  confident  by 
this  marvellous  success,  he  dared  even  to  put  his  proud 
foot  upon  the  symbolic  barrier,  the  dread  Akaula. 
Pressing  the  cord  disdainfully  to  the  ground,  it  broke 
with  a  twang,  like  the  painful  cry  of  a  hidden  spirit. 
The  sound  aroused  strong  superstitious  fears.  The 
croaking  voices  of  many  cried  out : 

"  Tabii !  Tabii !  It  is  death  to  enter  the  puka 
pukaka .' " 

191 


192  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

But  Kame'hame'ria  was  not  one  to  heed  these  alarms. 
He  put  the  paku  (curtain)  from  before  the  sacred  door 
and  entered.  He  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  the 
sleeping  king,  while  the  gigantic  kiaipoo  sprang  forward 
with  a  lowering  brow,  and  pressed  the  point  of  his  sharp 
spear  against  his  breast,  crying  out  loud  enough  to  wake 
the  king  : 

"  JS  imi  oekou  make  ?  " — Do  you  seek  your  death  ? 

Not  a  muscle  of  the  chief-boy's  face  showed  fear  of 
the  ferocious  guard,  or  heed  of  the  weapon  that  brought 
blood  trickling  from  his  breast.  But  admiration  for  the 
slumbering  monarch  kindled  in  him  a  strong  outpouring 
of  filial  affection  for  the  parent  whom  he  now  saw  for 
the  first  time. 

Kalaniopuu  was  aroused  from  sleep  by  the  cry  of  the 
kiaipoo,  and  sat  up  on  his  couch  of  mats  and  pulu  down, 
full  of  indignation  and  surprise  at  the  scene.  He  saw  a 
chief  with  inoffensive  spear  and  dagger,  adorned  with 
the  insignia  of  royalty.  What  could  it  mean  ?  He 
could  find  no  heart  to  give  the  word  for  his  death. 

Looking  fixedly  and  sternly  at  the  admiring  chief  be- 
fore him,  a  glow  of  quick  admiration  crept  over  tbe 
benignant  face  of  the  king,  as  he  saw  the  ardent  look  of 
love  in  the  stranger  youth,  and  his  total  unconsciousness 
of  the  savage  guard  or  the  spear-point  in  his  bleeding 
chest.  Holding  up  his  hand  for  the  guard  to  desist,  the 
king  exclaimed  : 

"  Hold  !  kiaipoo.  Noble  Alii,  ua  makapo  oe  ?  "  (are 
you  blind  ?) 

"  No,  Alii  Moi,  for  I  behold  the  noble  king,  my 
father  ! " 

"  Owai  oe  ? — who  are  you  ?  "  exclaimed  the  king  (in 
the  Ka  Ke  tongue),  his  interest  now  fully  awakened  in 
the  stranger. 


Full  Recognition.  193 

Pointing  to  the  ivory  tooth  suspended  from  his  neck, 
Kamehame'ha  replied  : 

"  Sire,  my  royal  father  named  me  '  Umi '  from  the  niho 
palaoa  which  I  wear.  My  mother,  Wailele  of  Mukini, 
bids  me  return  this  royal  insignia  to  its  rightful  owner, 
the  king."  And  he  took  off  the  priceless  decoration  and 
laid  it  reverently  at  the  monarch's  feet. 

"Malta! — hush.  This  secret  had  best  remain  with 
ourselves."  And  turning  to  the  faithful  guard,  he  said  : 
"  Kiaipoo,  we  would  be  alone.  Guard  the  puka  pukaka 
with  a  sharp  spear  that  lets  neither  prince  nor  kahtina 
pass.  £  hele  ! — begone  !  " 

As  the  guard  passed  out  and  dropped  the  paku  before 
the  door,  the  face  of  the  king  lighted  up  with  undisguised 
pleasure  as  he  asked  : 

"  And  you  are  Kamehameha  of  Waimanu,  spoken  of 
as  such  a  prodigy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sire.  Let  me  hope  that  I  may  prove  worthy  of 
my  noble  parentage." 

"  You  are  indeed  a  brave  youth.  Come  here  and 
salute  me,"  and  the  king  placed  his  thigh  for  Kame- 
hameha to  sit  upon,  and  caught  the  manly  boy  joyfully 
in  his  arms,  looking  upon  him  with  affection  and  pride. 

"  But  you  are  older  than  my  son  should  be." 

"  I  am  but  nineteen  this  day." 

"  You  are  a  noble  fellow,  and  at  this  rate  you  will  soon 
be  larger  than  your  father.  Can  it  be  twenty  years  since 
I  prayed  to  Pele  in  the  temple  of  Mukini  for  an  heir  ? 
You  are  indeed  worthy  of  your  noble  mother,  whom  I 
won  only  by  the  promise  that  she  should  be  forever  left 
to  rule  over  her  loved  Mukini.  Has  she  imparted  her 
wise  state-craft  to  my  boy  ? " 

"  She  has  taught  me  to  be  brave  in  the  face  of  danger, 
and  faithful  to  my  king  and  country." 


194  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

"  Noble  Wail61e  !  What  a  worthy  counsellor  thou  hast 
been  !  Is  it  true,  my  boy,  that  you  ascended  Mauna 
Loa,  and  climbed  to  the  dreadful  Mokua-weo-weo  ?  " 

"Yes,  my  father,  I  spent  the  night  on  the  summit,  sit- 
ting by  the  terrible  crater,  alone  with  the  demon  spirits." 

"  Did  Pele  come  forth  to  greet  you  ?" 

"  Not  there,  but  at  the  upper  edge  of  the  forest  belt 
the  divine  Goddess  came  to  bless  me  with  her  presence, 
and  entrusted  to  me  a  mission  for  my  country." 

At  this  moment  a  noisy  tumult  occurred  without.  The 
guard  resisted  the  turbulent  prince,  who  demanded  to 
see  his  father.  For  an  instant  the  old  monarch's  face 
assumed  a  severe  expression,  changing  at  length  to  a 
look  of  sorrow,  for  Kiwalao  was  a  rebellious  boy.  Turn- 
ing to  Kamehameha,  he  said  : 

"  My  son,  my  noble  boy,  I  cannot  do  by  you  now  as  I 
could  wish.  It  would  not  be  best  to  give  you  your  full 
rights  to-day.  The  world  about  us  is  full  of  treachery  ; 
the  court  minions  plot  evil  and  foment  jealousies. 
Therefore  our  precious  secret  had  better  be  kept  to  our- 
selves, or  shared  with  Keeaumoku  only,  whom  I  will 
appoint  your  kahu  alii  (guardian  chief).  Be  watchful 
of  your  conduct,  lest  you  make  enemies  at  court.  Let 
it  suffice  for  the  present  that  I  acknowledge  you  as  my 
son.  Already  I  love  you  next  to  your  darling  mother. 

"  Keep  your  spear  and  palaoa  ;  learn  to  use  the  one 
and  seek  not  to  disgrace  the  other.  As  Keeaumoku  is 
to  be  your  guardian  chief  it  would  be  well  to  give  him 
your  insignia,  as  he  is  somewhat  vain  of  decorations. 
Such  a  piece  of  state-craft  will  repay  you  a  hundred-fold. 
To  wear  these  treasures  would  endanger  your  life  in 
battle,  and  create  untold  jealousies  at  court. 

"  Remain  at  court  as  Kamehameha,  son  of  Wailele  of 


Presented  to  Kiwalao.  195 

Mukfni.  Don  a  malo  and  kihei  (girdle  and  robe),  and  let 
the  legend  of  the  "  god-born  "  become  a  tradition  of  the 
past.  And  now  let  us  go  forth  among  my  guests,  where 
I  will  present  you  to  the  kings,  and  place  you  in  the 
hands  of  Keeaumoku  for  further  instruction.  It  will 
need  my  hugest  warrior  to  protect  you  from  the  hateful 
court  intrigues,  because  of  your  fame,  which  has  pre- 
ceded your  coming." 

Throwing  the  paku  from  the  door,  Kalaniopuu  and  the 
young  Alii  passed  out.  The  angry  prince  was  at  the 
door,  still  held  in  check  by  the  sturdy  guard.  The  king 
addressed  his  son  in  a  gentle  tone  of  rebuke  : 

"  How  is  this,  Kiwalao  ?  Can't  you  keep  the  peace 
while  your  father  receives  a  message  of  importance  from 
Mukini  ? " 

"I  did  not  believe  you  had  ordered  the  guard  to 
exclude  your  son,  when  the  stranger  chief  was  suffered 
to  pass  the  sacred  door  without  permission." 

"  My  son,  this  is  Kame"hameha  of  Mukini,  son  of 
Wailele,  the  celebrated  priestess  of  that  famous  heidu. 
Let  me  ask  you  to  make  it  pleasant  for  him  about  the 
court,  while  he  stays  among  us." 

The  two  royal  aliis  greeted  each  other  politely,  for 
Kiwalao  was  a  true  courtier,  and  Kamehameha  had 
acquired  the  polished  manners  natural  to  all  high-born 
chiefs. 

Seeing  the  canoe  of  the  Waimanu  chiefs  in  the  river, 
the  king  asked  who  they  were.  He  was  gratified  to 
learn  that  his  newly-found  son  had  been  so  wise  as  to 
surround  himself  with  his  own  friends.  Kiwalao  was 
immediately  sent  to  invite  them  ashore,  to  provide  for 
them  a  good  repast,  and  to  lodge  them  as  best  he  could 
until  the  other  guests  were  gone,  when  permanent 
accommodations  would  be  abundant. 


196  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

Passing  on  up  the  river  to  where  the  court  guests  were 
still  intent  upon  their  games  and  spear-practice,  Kalani- 
opuu  presented  Kamehameha  to  the  kings,  and  then  put 
him  in  charge  of  Keeaumoku,  as  his  guardian  chief. 
This  warrior  accepted  the  charge  with  apparent  pleasure, 
greeting  the  young  Alii  with  a  degree  of  warmth  which 
made  them  friends  at  once.  This  friendship  was  strong 
and  true,  and  it  lasted  until  death. 

In  the  first  glow  of  his  admiration  for  Keeaumoku, 
Kamehameha  took  the  occasion  to  present  him  his  royal 
insignia.  This  touched  his  vanity  as  nothing  else  could 
have  done.  It  was  the  first  stroke  of  the  young  Alii's 
policy  toward  the  furtherance  of  his  deep-laid  schemes. 

It  may  here  be  noted  that  this  same  palaoa,  at  a  later 
day,  saved  the  life  of  Keeaumoku,  caused  the  death  of 
Kiwalao,  and  won  for  King  Kamehameha  his  first  hard- 
fought  battle.* 

*  At  the  battle  of  Keei,  after  an  eight-days'  slaughter,  the  attacking 
force  of  Keeaumoku  were  killed  almost  to  a  man,  and  the  great  chief 
himself  was  stricken  down  and  apparently  mortally  wounded.  When 
supposed  to  be  nearly  dead,  Kiwalao  sprang  forward  to  rob  the  dying 
Alii  of  his  insignia,  and  lost  his  life  and  the  battle  by  his  greed  for 
the  bauble.— (See  Ellis'  "  Hawaii,"  p.  115.) 


XXIII. 

COMBAT    WITH    SPEARS   BETWEEN    THE    PRINCES. 

IT  was  a  most  fortunate  thing  for  the  young  Alii  to 
meet  these  notable  chiefs  from  the  Leeward  king- 
doms ;  for  such  a  gathering  never  took  place  again  in 
the  history  of  the  islands.  When  presented  to  Kahekili 
and  Keoua,  the  two  celebrities  exchanged  sharp  inquiring 
glances,  as  if  each  was  asking  the  other  who  was  the 
favored  parent  of  this  young  notable  ?  As  we  have 
seen,  both  of  these  kings  had  been  lovers  of  the  beautiful 
Wailele.  And  though  unsuccessful  lovers,  history  tells 
us  that  Kamehameha's  fame  and  unrevealed  paternity 
led  each  of  these  kings,  from  that  hour,  to  claim  his 
paternity  for  himself.  So  much  for  having  been  called  a 
fatherless  boy  ! 

Kiwalao  now  joined  the  group,  introducing  some  of 
the  young  .chiefs  from  Waimanu,  and  wishing  to  show 
some  of  these  untutored  lads  his  own  boasted  skill  with 
warlike  weapons.  Ere  they  took  their  stand  for  spear 
practice,  Kiwalao  discovered  the  ivory  decoration  upon 
Keeaumoku's  neck,  and  with  a  sudden  flush  of  temper 
turned  to  Kamehame'ha  with  a  blunt  request  : 

"  I  want  that  palaoa.  You  will  not  give  it  to  Keeau- 
moku  ? " 

"  The  gift  has  already  been  bestowed.  You  must  con- 
fess it  becomes  the  great  chief  finely." 

"  Why  did  n't  you  ask  me  if  I  wanted  it  before  you 


198  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

gave  it  away  ?  A  great  monster  like  him  does  not  need 
a  decoration  ?  Say,  Keeaumoku,  I  want  that  palaoa. 
The  Alii  would  have  given  it  to  me,  if  he  had  thought  I 
wanted  it." 

"  Be  in  at  my  death,  my  young  alii  nui,  and  you  shall 
have  it  ;  but  if  good  Pele  permits  me,  I  '11  wear  it  with 
honor  until  then — and  woe  to  the  mortal  who  dares  pluck 
it  from  my  neck  !  " 

The  indignant  prince  dared  not  further  provoke  the 
giant  ;  yet  wishing  some  one  to  vent  his  rising  spleen 
upon,  he  turned  to  Kamehameha  : 

"  That 's  a  nice  spear  of  yours.  Give  it  to  me,  will 
you  ? " 

"  Pardon  me,  Kiwalao,  this  is  an  heirloom  in  my 
family,  and  I  can  only  part  with  it  to  one  of  my  age  who 
shall  win  it  in  single  combat."  A  look  of  sly  merriment 
gleamed  in  the  dark  eyes  of  Kamehameha,  which  both 
Kalaniopuu  and  Keeaumoku  well  understood. 

"  I  'm  your  man  for  a  hoo  palau  (spear  game).  I  dare 
you  try  me  at  a  test  of  skill  ?  I  don't  suppose  you  Wai- 
manu fellows  practise  spears  very  much." 

"  Yes,  noble  prince,  I  cannot  find  the  heart  to  refuse 
you  ;  if  you  will  but  have  patience  with  us  *  fellows  from 
Waimanu.'  " 

"  Oh,  I  '11  be  tender  of  you  ;  especially  since  you  are 
twice  my  size,  and  present  two  marks  to  my  one.  Re- 
member, all  of  you,  that  I  am  to  have  Kamehameha's 
pololu  if  I  win.  What  length  of  spear  shall  we  take  ? " 

"  I  will  leave  that  to  your  greater  experience  to  decide. 
We  *  fellows  from  Waimanu  '  do  not  know  very  well." 

Passing  his  own  curiously  carved  spear  to  Miomio,  one 
of  his  chief-boys,  with  a  sly  leer  in  his  eye,  Kamehameha 
selected  one  of  Kiwalao's  spears,  and  the  two  royal  aliis 


Combat  of  the  Princes.  199 

took  positions  for  a  friendly  contest.  The  prince  showed 
his  lack  of  fairness  by  assuming  a  position  which  would 
bring  the  sun  in  Kamehameha's  face.  The  watchful 
Keeaumoku  insisted  upon  a  side-sun  for  them  both,  and 
the  tricky  prince  had  to  yield. 

Every  notable  in  the  company  was  gathered  about  the 
arena.  Not  that  they  cared  for  the  skill  of  a  petulant 
lad  like  Kiwalao  ;  but  Kamehameha's  fame  with  the 
spear  had  reached  every  ear  but  Kiwalao's.  At  a  signal 
given  by  Keeaumoku,  the  spears  were  let  fly  by  the  two 
combatants.  Each  acquitted  himself  well,  catching  the 
other's  whistling  weapon  with  ease  and  skill. 

After  a  few  such  trials,  Kiwalao  invited  three  of  the 
Waimanu  chiefs  to  dart  at  him  simultaneously.  Catch- 
ing the  first  spear,  he  fended  off  the  other  two.  Then  he 
tried  four  spearsmen  ;  and  with  such  success  that  he 
challenged  Kamehameha  to  beat  that  if  he  could. 

"  Thanks,  noble  prince,  for  not  setting  me  too  hard  a 
task.  With  such  an  example  I  '11  try  to  do  my  best." 

The  four  Waimanu  boys  were  now  invited  to  fling 
their  spears  with  their  utmost  force,  and  at  the  same 
instant.  Thrown  at  a  given  signal,  the  four  weapons 
hummed  through  the  air  almost  side  by  side  ;  but  each 
and  all  were  caught  by  Kamehameha  and  flung  back  to 
their  several  owners. 

Folding  his  arms,  he  again  bid  the  four  spearsmen  do 
their  best  to  spear  him.  Dipping,  ducking,  dodging, 
he  gracefully  avoided  the  four  weapons  without  moving 
from  his  footsteps.  This  elicited  most  hearty  applause 
from  the  chiefs,  and  kind  words  from  the  watchful  kings. 

Warming  with  the  active  work,  Kamehameha  now  re- 
quested the  prince  to  join  the  four  chiefs  ;  and  caught 
the  five  spears  as  easily  as  the  four.  Calling  for  yet  another 


2OO  Kam£hain4ha  the  Great. 

from  his  native  valley,  the  young  Alii  caught  the  first,  and 
with  it  parried  the  other  five,  amidst  rousing  cheers  from 
all. 

Elated  with  his  warlike  frolic,  he  now  requested  ten  * 
spearsmen  to  take  positions  in  line,  three  feet  apart  ;  in 
which  case  the  ten  spears  would  be  thrown  from  a  radius 
of  forty  feet,  all  centring  upon  the  heart  of  the  fearless 
chief-boy.  This  was  one  of  the  most  dangerous  exhibi- 
tions of  spear  practice. 

The  whole  multitude  were  now  hushed  into  breathless 
watchfulness,  and  every  eye  was  upon  the  noble  Alii,  as 
Keeaumoku  kept  them  waiting  for  a  small  cloud  to  pass 
from  off  the  sun.  As  the  yellow  beam  again  shone  on 
the  spear-points,  the  signal  was  given,  and  instantly  the 
ten  perilous  barbs  flashed  in  the  air,  Kiwalao's  treach- 
erous spear  coming  a  length  in  advance  ;  all  hurtled 
through  the  sunlit  air  at  the  naked  breast  of  the  chief- 
boy. 

Catching  the  prince's  spear,  by  an  almost  superhuman 
effort,  he  parried  the  rest,  ending  with  flinging  Kiwalao's 
ill-meant  missile  back  to  its  envious  owner  ;  but  it  was 
flung  with  such  terrific  force  that  it  grazed  the  downy 
cheek  of  the  sulky  prince. 

Wild  indeed  were  the  shouts  that  echoed  from  cliff  to 
cliff,  causing  a  great  flock  of  birds  to  rise  bewildered  in 
the  air.  The  four  kings  greeted  Kamehameha  with  de- 
light, while  Keeaumoku  hugged  him  like  a  lover.  Even 
Kiwalao  came  forward  manfully  at  length,  and  showed  a 
generous  spirit  toward  his  antagonist. 

This  event  lifted  a  weight  from  Kalaniopuu's  heart, 
and  swept  a  cloud  from  his  anxious  face.  He  no  longer 

*  Some  warriors  could  avoid  a  dozen  spears  when  cast  at  once. — 
Jarvis'  History,  p.  66 


Tempted  by  Kahekili.  201 

feared  that  Kiwalao  would  continue  to  show  indignation 
about  \hepalaoa,  or  cherish  a  dangerous  jealousy  of  the 
young  victor's  skill  ;  and  he  was  now  well  assured  that 
his  new-found  son  could  defend  himself  quite  as  well  as 
any  warrior  in  Waipio.  Still  more,  this  exhibition  of 
skill  was  an  admirable  warning  to  all  court  intriguers. 

For  himself,  Kamehameha  rejoiced  in  the  pleasure 
that  his  success  had  given  his  father  and  his  guardian 
chief  ;  and  he  knew  that  his  mother  would  almost  forget 
her  prayers  when  she  heard  of  his  success.  Only  the 
holy  Priestess  and  her  alii  kapti  knew  that  it  was  Pele 
who  sustained  him  on  that  eventful  day  of  his  ctebut. 

Before  the  royal  company  left  for  Maui  that  afternoon, 
the  cunning  Kahekili  found  opportunity  to  flatter  the 
young  Alii  for  his  remarkable  skill,  to  inform  him  of  the 
profound  admiration  he  felt  for  his  mother,  and  to  invite 
him  to  accompany  them  to  Maui  with  his  band  of  young 
warriors.  He  even  promised  the  ambitious  youth  to 
make  him  king  of  Molokai,  if  his  warlike  expedition 
against  Oahu  should  succeed. 

This  was  indeed  a  most  flattering  offer  to  a  chief  but 
one  day  launched  upon  his  career.  True  to  his  alle- 
giance to  his  king,  he  sought  first  to  confer  with  his 
kahu  alii  before  he  could  decide.  Keeaumoku  had 
watchfully  observed  what  was  going  on,  and  fearing 
harm  from  the  flattery  of  Kahekili,  had  quickly  ap- 
proached within  hearing  of  the  last  part  of  the  king's 
treacherous  offer  ;  an  offer  which  that  gracious  monarch 
had  previously  made  to  three  other  royal  chiefs,  one  of 
whom,  as  we  saw,  was  Keeaumoku  himself.  When  the 
blunt-spoken  old  warrior  was  told  what  was  proposed 
to  his  ward,  he  came  to  the  rescue  in  his  characteristic 
way  : 


2O2  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

"  It  is  my  duty  to  inform  your  Majesty  that  I  have 
been  made  kahu  alii  of  the  Waimanu  chief,  and  I  take 
pleasure  in  saying  that  we  shall  find  a  suitable  field  for 
his  warlike  skill  before  the  world  grows  much  older  ; 
therefore,  under  no  consideration  will  he  be  permitted  to 
fight  under  your  Majesty's  banner  at  present." 

"  Must  you  ever  be  intruding  your  personal  aversions 
upon  our  family,  my  troublesome  brother  ?  "  answered 
the  enraged  king,  his  eyes  flashing  at  this  unfortunate  in- 
trusion. He  could  not  now  hope  to  entrap  Kamehameha 
and  his  gallant  chiefs  ;  but  he  dared  not  vent  his  rage 
upon  the  gigantic  warrior  before  him. 

"  Sire,  my  personal  interest  always  goes  hand  in  hand 
with  my  duty,  as  your  Majesty  well  knows.  My  present 
duty  is  not  to  my  wife's  brother,  but  to  prevent  this  noble 
Alii  from  being  inveigled  into  any  treacherous  scheme 
for  the  aggrandizement  of  base  men." 

"  Keeaumoku,  there  will  come  a  time  when  you  shall 
repent  casting  your  interest  against  our  royal  house. 
Mark  me,  the  time  is  not  far  distant." 

"  Come  when  it  will,  Kahekili  shall  ever  find  Keeau- 
moku of  Hawaii  and  this  young  hero  fighting  on  the 
same  battle-field.  I,  too,  sire,  have  an  eye  to  see  that  this 
young  knight  is  the  coming  man  whom  priests  and 
prophets  have  so  long  foretold." 

"  Keeaumoku,  I  hate  you  !  May  our  next  meeting  be 
where  spears  fall  thick  and  fast  !  " 

"  I  second  your  wish  ;  and  I  will  further  your  prophecy. 
Aloha,  treacherous  king  !  " 


XXIV. 

THE    COURT    OF    WAIPIO. 

GREAT  was  the  shouting  of  the  multitude  from 
the  high  sand-hills  along  the  Waipio  shore  as 
men,  women,  and  children  gathered  to  see  the  departure 
of  the  kings,  and  to  watch  the  swarthy  warriors  force 
their  red  war  canoes  out  over  the  roaring  breakers  at  the 
mouth  of  the  valley. 

The  king  had  parted  with  his  turbulent  guests  at  the 
place  of  embarkation  on  the  river.  He  stood  with 
folded  arms  and  furrowed  brow  among  his  great  chiefs 
until  the  wild  cheers  of  the  multitudes  announced  that 
the  kings  had  passed  the  surf  in  safety.  With  a  sigh  of 
relief  he  turned  back  to  the  palace,  thankful  that  no 
serious  outburst  of  passion  had  taken  place  to  mar  their 
visit,  and  to  reflect  upon  his  difficult  task  of  hospitality. 

What  dangerous  intrigues  the  visitors  had  started  at 
court,  or  what  treacherous  schemes  of  assassination  and 
poisoning  the  cunning  sons  of  Kekaulike  had  accom- 
plished, remained  to  be  seen.  Calling  out  a  pleasant 
Aloha !  to  Kamehameha  as  he  passed,  the  careworn 
monarch  took  the  arm  of  Keeaumoku,  and  together  they 
entered  the  royal  house,  intent  upon  matters  of  state. 

Weary  with  the  mental  and  physical  strain  of  this 
eventful  day,  the  young  Alii  sat  down  upon  the  river 
bank  among  his  Waimanu  chiefs  to  wait  the  return  of 
Keeaumoku.  Ten  of  Kamehameha's  party  had  been 

203 


2O4  Kam4ham£ka  the  Great. 

allotted  residences  in  Napopo,  the  thrifty  village  about 
the  great  chief's  dwelling,  while  Kamehameha  and  his 
aikane  (intimate  companion)  were  to  be  taken  directly 
into  the  family  of  Keeaumoku,  as  the  ex-queen,  Nama- 
hana,  had  once  known  Wailele  and  the  old  priest,  Wa- 
hupu,  her  father. 

The  palace  grounds  of  Waipio  and  the  numerous  ad- 
jacent dwellings  stood  on  a  line  of  low  green  hills,  half  a 
mile  up  the  valley,  lying  along  the  north  bank  of  the 
River,  which  here  skirts  close  along  the  lowest  part  of  the 
south/<#*.  Three  quarters  of  a  mile  farther  up-stream 
were  the  neat  grass  houses  of  Napopo,  where  Keeau- 
moku and  other  great  chiefs  lived.  Every  hale  had  its 
kalo  field  and  garden  plot  of  fruit-trees  about  it. 

About  the  palace  grounds  were  clustered  fine  groves 
of  great  king-palms  and  flowering  hau  (hibiscus),  to- 
gether with  huge  dark-green  bread-fruit  and  tall  ohia 
trees,  crimsoned  with  ripened  fruit.  Graceful  clusters  of 
large-leaved  bananas,  with  their  red  or  yellow  fruit,  and 
guavas,  orange,  and  coffee  trees  grew  everywhere  in 
abundance.  Just  across  the  river  a  dense  grove  of  tall 
cocoa-nut  palms  almost  hid  the  small  heidu,  over  which 
Hewahewa  presided,  high-priest  of  Waipio,  son  of  Ho- 
loae,  the  great  high-priest  of  Hawaii,  descendants  of 
Paao,  and  thus  distant  connections  of  Kamehameha. 

Keeaumoku  now  made  his  appearance  from  the  palace. 
He  called  to  Kaahumanu  ("  Feather  Mantle "),  his 
pretty  daughter  of  nine,  and  beckoned  to  Kamehameha 
and  the  chiefs  who  were  to  live  at  Napopo,  the  other 
chief-boys  having  been  pleasantly  domiciled  wherever 
agreeable  homes  could  be  found. 

Though  Keeaumoku  looked  kindly  upon  our  hero,  as 
if  prompted  by  some  newly  acquired  interest,  yet  he  was 


Feather  Mantle.  205 

not  communicative.  He  strode  silently  on  before,  with 
Kaahumanu  clinging  to  his  hand.  Could  he  foresee  that 
this  lovely  child  would  become  the  favorite  queen  of  the 
chief-boy  who  followed  them,  and  the  most  renowned 
stateswoman  in  all  Polynesia  ? 

As  to  the  young  Alii,  he  always  affirmed  that  he  knew 
his  fate  was  to  be  linked  with  those  two,  father  and 
daughter,  from  that  hour  when  he  followed  them  thought- 
fully along  the  river  path.  But  he  did  not  then  know  that 
the  king  had  just  taken  Keeaumoku  into  his  confidence, 
and  told  him  the  proud  birthright  of  his  new  found  son, 
for  the  story  had  been  told  under  the  closest  ban  of 
secrecy. 

Although  "  Feather  Mantle  "  was  already  betrothed  to 
Kiwalao,  the  heir-apparent,  and  fully  expected  to  become 
Queen  of  Hawaii,  yet,  like  many  other  very  young  prin- 
cesses, the  air-castle  of  her  girlhood  had  many  coignes 
and  turrets  wherein  to  harbor  another  gallant  admirer  or 
doughty  knight.  The  proud  young  beauty  was  not 
above  flinging  back  a  frequent  bewitching  smile  of 
cheer,  meant  to  encourage  the  timid  advances  of  the 
young  victor. 

As  usual  at  her  giddy  age,  the  insipidities  and  merry 
nothings  of  the  gay  young  prince  were  far  more  to  her 
liking  than  the  sedate  manners  and  wise  discourse  of  the 
swarthy  Alii.  But  there  is  also  an  equal  fascination  in 
receiving  attention  from  the  grand  and  noble  whom 
others  admire. 

As  the  party  wended  its  way  beside  the  river,  the  earth 
ovens  were  everywhere  ablaze  preparatory  to  cooking 
the  evening  meal,  as  the  royal  guests  had  devoured  all 
the  available  food  before  they  left. 

At  length  they  reached  the  charming  village  of  Na- 


206  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

popo,  and  one  by  one  the  ten  Waimanu  chiefs  were  as- 
signed their  dwelling-places.  Kamehameha  and  Miomio, 
his  atkane,  were  taken  home  with  Keeaumoku,  and  there 
the  young  Alii  found  a  warm  friend  in  the  motherly 
Namahana,  the  noble  descendant  of  the  Maui  kings. 
Little  did  she  think  that  three  of  her  lovely  daughters 
would  subsequently  become  queens  to  our  hero,  as  veri- 
table history  fails  not  to  relate. 

How  providential  it  seemed  that  Namahana  should 
have  once,  when  she  was  Queen  of  Maui,  visited  Mukini ; 
going  with  the  king  on  business  of  state  with  the  father 
of  Wailele,  just  before  the  death  of  the  aged  priest.  The 
queen  became  warmly  attached  to  the  Priestess,  then  a 
girl  of  fifteen,  and  her  remarkable  beauty  and  winning 
hospitality  had  never  been  forgotten.  And  now  there 
came  a  welcome  opportunity  for  her  to  open  her  heart 
and  home  to  the  son  of  the  loved  friend  of  her  youth. 

The  experience  of  the  dethroned  queen  enabled  her  to 
put  a  more  just  estimate  upon  the  qualities  of  the  young 
Alii  than  her  imperious  daughter  could  do.  The  saga- 
cious queen-mother  was  well  pleased  to  discover  the 
growing  attraction  that  Kaahumanu's  dark  eyes  had  for 
the  new-comer  ;  for  she  expected  neither  truth  nor  sta- 
bility in  the  intriguing  Kiwalao,  whose  fickle  character 
caused  no  little  uneasiness  among  his  friends  at  court. 
In  later  years  Kamehameha  used  to  tell  many  a  pleasant 
reminiscence  of  that  bright  day,  and  none  more  interest- 
ing than  the  bewitching  effect  of  "  Feather  Mantle's  " 
dark  eyes  upon  him,  and  how  they  had  nerved  him  to  do 
his  utmost  in  the  spear  practice  before  the  kings. 

The  proud  and  fearless  beauty  had  been  greatly  petted 
by  the  visiting  monarchs,  and  during  the  trial  of  skill 
between  the  prince,  her  affianced  lover,  and  his  unknown 


Coquetting  with  the  Stranger.  207 

brother,  "  Feather  Mantle "  stood  before  her  giant 
father,  eagerly  watching  the  contest,  at  first  with  only  an 
interest  for  the  prince,  but  ending  with  a  paramount 
sympathy  for  Kamehameha.  Thus,  during  the  last  des- 
perate undertaking  of  the  stranger  chief,  when  even  the 
hardened  old  warriors  stood  breathless,  charmed  with 
the  danger  of  his  situation,  none  could  better  appreciate 
the  cool,  calm  bearing  of  the  daring  youth  than  this  wise 
young  princess  of  nine.  Her  small  bare  foot  was 
proudly  advanced,  like  that  of  the  two  contestants,  and 
her  dark  eyes  were  alert,  as  if  to  guide  her  own  girlish 
hand  to  catch  the  spears. 

Never  could  the  young  Alii  forget  the  inspiring  look 
of  the  girl  in  that  moment,  when  the  ten  keen  spears 
were  about  to  be  flung  at  his  naked  breast.  It  was  a 
picture  never  to  be  forgotten.  Her  parted  lips,  heaving 
bosom,  and  extended  hands  showed  emotional  feeling 
far  beyond  her  years,  as  she  threw  every  impulse  of  her 
impassioned  soul  into  the  perilous  combat. 

The  scene  exalted  her  into  a  wild  ecstacy  ;  she  glori- 
fied the  courage  and  skill  of  the  young  stranger,  and  no 
expression  of  doubt  or  fear  of  the  result  mantled  her 
young  cheeks  as  she  looked  upon  the  god-born  boy. 

More  than  all  the  magnetic  charm  of  human  beauty 
glowing  in  the  girl's  brave  young  face,  that  which  most 
sustained  the  heroism  of  the  youth  in  that  hour  of  peril, 
was  his  conviction  that  she  whom  he  looked  upon  was 
Pele  in  disguise.  He  felt  assured  that  his  divine  god- 
mother would  be  there  in  some  human  form  to  prompt 
and  protect  him.  And  surely  this  girl's  supernal  beauty 
must  be  divine  ;  it  so  thrilled  his  soul,  and  prompted 
him  to  such  unusual  daring.  It  was  but  a  brief  glimpse 
of  that  divine  instinct  which  in  the  heroic  moment  links 
all  exalted  souls  with  deity. 


208  Kamthameha  the  Great. 

Yet  how  little  could  the  inexperienced  chief-boy  un- 
derstand the  sudden  reaction  he  subsequently  witnessed  ! 
The  over-excited  maiden  burst  into  tears  when  all  was 
over,  and  sank  trembling  and  sobbing  at  her  father's 
feet,  while  all  others  were  giving  vent  to  their  apprecia- 
tion of  the  scene  by  deafening  cheers.  The  young  victor 
stood  there  silent,  subdued  by  the  very  greatness  of  his 
triumph. 


XXV. 

QUEEN  NAMAHANA'S   TRAGIC  STORY. 

ON  the  second  evening  of  Kame"hameha's  stay  at 
Waipio  there  was  a  family  gathering  along  the 
grassy  river  bank,  met  for  social  chat,  and  to  sip  in  the 
perfume  which  follows  along  the  cool-flowing  river  at  the 
close  of  a  sultry  day. 

It  was  a  still,  calm  night ;  only  the  occasional  glare  of 
some  weird  fire-light  broke  upon  the  starlit  gloom,  the 
silence  was  made  audible  by  the  chirping  crickets  in  the 
grass,  and  by  the  singing  lizards  in  the  ktiktii  trees  ;  there 
were  no  sounds  but  these,  the  low  rumble  of  the  surf  on 
the  distant  shore,  and  the  tuneful  monotone  of  the  far- 
away cataract  in  the  upper  valley. 

Keeaumoku  had  just  gone  down  to  the  palaoe  at  the 
urgent  call  of  the  king.  Coming  at  such  an  hour,  it  was 
a  message  of  mystery  which  broke  rudely  upon  the  com- 
panionship of  the  royal  group ;  for  rumor,  since  the  de- 
parture of  the  Leeward  kings,  had  filled  the  air  with 
whispers  of  impending  wars  and  dangerous  intrigues. 

Namahana  with  her  daughters  and  sons  sat  grouped 
about  Kamehameha  and  a  few  of  his  favorite  chief-boys  ; 
and  the  queen  was  relating  some  of  the  tragic  events  in 
the  family  history. 

The  motherly  queen  affectionately  held  one  of  Kame'- 
hameha's  hands  between  her  two  great  palms — hands 
which  had  wielded  many  a  war  spear  in  the  thick  of  bat- 

209 


2io  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

tie  ;  and  the  soft  magnetic  touch  of  "  Feather  Mantle  " 
possessed  the  other  hand.  The  chief-boys  drank  in  the 
story  of  the  dethroned  queen  ;  thrilling  with  horror  at 
the  dangers  of  dagger,  spear,  and  poison  from  which  the 
heroic  chiefess  had  escaped  in  the  treacherous  land  of 
Maui. 

Namahana  was  the  well-loved  daughter  of  Kekaulike, 
the  most  renowned  king  of  Maui's  long  line  of  warriors. 
She  was  queen  to  her  brother,  Kamehameha  (the  first  of 
the  name),  and  half-sister  to  the  treacherous  Kahekili,  to 
Keao,  and  to  Alapai.  The  reign  of  her  Kamehameha 
was  the  most  peaceful  in  the  annals  of  Maui,  though  the 
brief  wars  of  her  king  against  Hawaii  were  unsuccessful, 
for  East  Maui  was  lost.* 

But  alas  !  when  her  noble  king  was  taken  sick,  then 
her  ambitious  brothers  hedged  their  sister  about  with 
poisoned  dagger  and  envenomed  spear,  hungry  for  their 
brother's  throne  before  the  finger  of  death  had  beckoned 
him  away.  Chiefs  and  armies  were  loyal  to  maintain 
their  queen  against  all  comers.  But  the  cunning  of 
Kahekili  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  He  smiled  on 
his  royal  sister  with  affection,  while  the  priest  was  bribed 
to  poison  her  food  with  venom  from  Pepehi's  idol,  and 
assassins  watched  to  slay  her. 

Keeaumoku  had  been  the  lover  of  Namahana  before 
she  was  compelled,  after  the  hateful  custom  of  the  land, 
to  marry  her  brother.  To  him  she  now  turned  for 
succor  against  her  unnatural  assailants. f  He  was  absent 
with  the  army  of  invasion  on  Molokai,  and  Namahana 
sent  a  messenger  for  Keeaumoku  to  meet  her.  He  came 

*  Kalaniopuu  claimed  East  Maui  as  the  patrimony  of  his  queen 
Kalola,  and  took  it  in  the  year  1759,  and  held  it  throughout  his  reign. 

f  Keeaumoku  had  previously  quarrelled  with  Kalaniopuu,  and  was 
then  living  at  the  court  of  Maui. 


Dethroned  by  Kahekili.  2 1 1 

to  Maui,  and  the  lovers  were  married  ;  but  her  new  hus- 
band well  knew  that  the  Maui  army,  then  on  Molokai, 
had  already  been  won  over  to  Kahekili,  and  would  soon 
sweep  unopposed  over  Namahana's  kingdom. 

When  the  army  of  Kahekili  landed  on  Maui,  a  few 
months  after,  Keeaumoku  and  the  queen  fled  to  Hana, 
the  remotest  end  of  her  kingdom  of  Maui.  There  Kaa- 
humanu  was  born  on  the  famous  hill  of  Kauwiki,  the 
scene  of  Kahekili's  cannibal  feast,  where  his  whole 
army  was  fed  upon  a  garrison  of  brave  Hawaiians.* 

The  assassins  of  her  brother  still  hedged  about  the 
royal  mother  and  her  babe,  and  not  until  several  of  the 
men-slayers  had  been  killed  by  Keeaumoku  was  it 
deemed  best  to  leave  Maui  forever,  and  seek  protection 
under  the  noble  Kalaniopuu,  who  bid  them  welcome. 

Twice  "  Feather  Mantle  "  had  narrowly  escaped  being 
drowned.  Their  home  in  Hana  having  been  besieged 
by  soldiers  on  the  land  side,  the  queen  took  canoe  at 
night,  and  crossed  the  Upolu  Sea  for  Hawaii.  As  they 
approached  Kaawaloa,  running  before  the  wind  under  a 
press  of  sail,  in  the  darkness,  the  baby  princess  lay 
asleep  on  the  polu  (platform)  of  the  double  canoe,  rolled 
up  in  a  wrap  of  white  tapa. 

Suddenly  the  babe  was  missing.  A  quick  lurch  of  the" 
canoe  had  tossed  her  into  the  sea,  unseen  by  any  one. 
Sail  was  shortened  hurriedly,  and  the  strong  paddlers 
forced  the  canoe  back  against  wind  and  waves  into  the 
black  gloom  of  the  foaming  waters. 

Terrible  was  the  anguish  of  the  queen-mother  for  her 
lost  child.  Some  said  they  had  seen  a  white  tapa  tossing 
on  the  wave  crests  long  before,  but  thought  nothing  of  it. 

*See  Dibble's  "  History,"  p.  53,  for  a  full  account  of  this  cannibal 
feast. 


212  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

She  was  mourned  as  lost,  for  a  monstrous  shark  had  been 
following  the  canoe  before  the  accident. 

But  Providence  watches  over  the  lives  of  future 
queens.  The  paddlers,  when  hope  was  spent,,  caught 
sight  of  the  white  tapa  in  the  distance  ;  then  it  disap- 
peared in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  The  great  shark,  just 
before  them,  was  thrashing  the  sea  into  phosphorescence 
with  his  tail,  as  sharks  do  when  devouring  their  prey. 
The  paddles  bent  in  strong  hands,  and  the  canoe  plunged 
into  the  gloom  ahead.  An  instant  more,  and  the  white 
tapa  was  snatched  up,  and  the  unconscious  princess 
found  still  asleep  and  unharmed.  The  shark  was  de- 
vouring a  roast  dog  which  had  been  wrapped  in  //  leaves 
and  left  on  the  platform  beside  the  child,  Kaahumanu. 
She  was  saved  to  do  the  great  work,  in  the  future,  of 
breaking  the  tabti  of  the  idol-worshippers.  Snatched 
with  a  divine  purpose  from  the  midnight  waves  and  the 
hungry  maw  of  the  shark,  as  baby  Moses  was  rescued 
from  the  rushes  of  the  Nile  by  Pharaoh's  daughter,  both 
children  became  the  saviors  of  their  people. 

After  waiting  long  for  Keeaumoku's  return,  the  party 
broke  up  and  were  seeking  their  mats  for  repose,  when 
he  appeared  ;  and  with  great  deference  for  Kameha- 
meha,  detained  him  a  moment  to  impart  his  messages 
from  the  king. 

One  of  the  court  spies  had  brought  word  from  Pepehi 
that  Kiwalao  contemplated  poisoning  some  new-comer 
about  the  court,  as  he  had  sent  for  several  doses  of  the 
old  Kahuna's  poison-god.  That  person  the  king  be- 
lieved was  his  new-found  son.  He  ordered  every  pre- 
caution to  be  used.  If  his  boy's  life  should  be  attempted 
by  force,  the  king  wished  it  fully  understood  that 
Kame'hame'ha  was  to  slay  his  assailant  without  the  least 
question  of  who  he  might  be. 


Conflicting  State- Craft.  2 1 3 

At  once  Kamehameha  suggested  that  he  should  seek 
to  win  the  good-will  of  Kiwalao  in  the  friendly  emulation 
of  spear  practice.  In  this  and  other  athletic  games,  he 
said,  he  could  impart  to  the  prince  some  of  the  skill  he 
had  acquired  by  arduous  application,  and  perhaps  win  his 
friendship. 

This  plan  met  the  approbation  of  his  guardian.  He 
had  himself  suggested  it  to  the  king,  who  feared  that  the 
prince  might  use  poisoned  spears.  So  they  parted  for 
the  night,  the  chief  ordering  the  night  watch  to  strike 
home,  if  need  should  be,  without  questioning  too  closely 
who  were  his  foes,  and  to  guard  the  Waimanu  chief  as 
one  of  the  family. 

Here  was  a  detestable  condition  of  society  !  Its  con- 
trast to  the  perfect  security  of  Kamehameha's  own  Wai- 
manu home  hardened  his  heart  against  state  crimes  and 
criminals,  and  made  his  resolution  sterner  to  crush  them 
out  when  he  should  come  to  the  throne. 

It  pleased  the  young  Alii  to  find  himself  in  such  accord 
with  Keeaumoku.  The  cool,  fearless,  far-seeing  chief 
was  by  far  the  ablest  counsellor  of  the  king.  His  experi- 
ence of  life  and  his  knowledge  of  men  were  greater  than 
those  of  any  one  whom  Kamehameha  had  known. 

From  Pepehi,  Kamehameha  had  learned  the  wiles  of 
the  Hawaiian  state-craft,  and  had  been  taught  to  believe 
that  there  was  no  moral  quality  in  man  sufficient  either 
to  guide  him  in  the  right  or  to  engender  a  hate  of  wrong- 
doing. 

By  his  mother  he  had  been  taught  a  beautiful  wisdom. 
Nowhere  but  at  Mukini  was  it  held  that  every  noble  man 
had  a  god  within  himself  ;  nowhere  else  was  it  taught 
that  the  rights  of  all  should  be  respected  even  by  the  king 
upon  his  throne,  and  that  to  sacrifice  any  human  victim 


214  Kamtkamdka  the  Great. 

but  a  criminal  was  a  crime  sufficient  to  blot  out  the  sun. 

From  Keeaumoku  he  learned  that  all  men  were  ruled 
by  their  self-interest,  and  impelled  to  wrong-doing  by 
their  emulation  of  others.  He  taught  that  the  bad  men 
with  whom  we  are  compelled  to  associate  should  be  in- 
fluenced by  showing  our  power  to  help  them  and  our 
inclination  to  better  their  condition.  But  proffer  not 
spears  to  timid  women  ! 

To  the  hopelessly  bad,  give  a  sharp  spear  and  a  fair 
fight  for  their  lives,  and  free  the  state  from  their  presence. 
Annihilation  for  one's  enemies  without  the  state  was 
with  the  chief  a  law  as  unchangeable  as  the  rock-grown 
hills.  In  this  list  of  offenders  without  the  pale  of  justice 
he  would  place  all  of  his  wife's  brothers  ;  not  for  any 
injury  done  to  him,  but  for  their  inhumanity  to  one  of 
their  own  blood.  Thus  he  showed  how,  were  he  the 
king  of  Hawaii,  he  would  deal  with  Keoua,  Keawe,  and 
even  Kiwalao  ;  and  thus  he  actually  did  deal,  in  after 
years,  with  two  of  these  persons.  Thus,  though  the  teach- 
ing of  Wailele  ever  remained  the  groundwork  of  Kame- 
hameha's  after  legislation,  and  rule  of  guidance  in  state- 
craft, yet  Keeaumoku's  interpretation  of  the  ruling  mo- 
tives of  men,  and  the  swift,  stern  justice  to  be  meted  out 
to  the  incorrigibly  bad,  influenced  the  great  conqueror 
more  than  all  other  counsels. 


XXVI. 

VIEW    OF    WAIPIO    VALLEY    FROM    THE    PALI. 

MORNING  dawned  upon  a  busy  scene.  All  who 
came  forth  at  the  dawn  clapped  their  hands 
and  called  upon  their  gods,  as  they  ran  to  the  river  for 
their  morning  plunge. 

The  dull  thud  of  the  cloth  mallets  and  the  stone  pestles 
of  the  poi-makers  were  the  first  sounds  to  awaken  the 
valley  ;  a  not  unpleasant  though  ceaseless  din,  at  least 
during  the  morning  hours,  awakening  the  persistent 
echoes  of  the  pdlis. 

Here  in  this  Eden  land  of  Waipio  ("  captive  waters  "), 
our  hero  was  now  to  enter  upon  a  stirring  life,  in  com- 
plete contrast  to  any  thing  that  he  had  known.  A  larger 
and  less  secluded  valley  than  Waimanu,  its  less  precipi- 
tous pdlis  were  daily  accessible  to  hundreds  of  busy 
comers  and  goers.  Governors  came  from  the  six  dis- 
tricts to  relate  their  dealings  with  their  people,  some  of 
whom  were  unruly  and  rebellious  subjects.  Especially 
was  this  true  of  Kau,  the  southernmost  district,  which 
had  long  since  acquired  the  name  of  "  Aina  kipi" — the 
rebellious  land  ;  or  another  and  worse  opprobrium,  "  The 
sepulchre  of  kings."  Three  kings  had  been  slain  there  : 
one  was  beaten  to  death  by  the  paddles  of  fishermen  at 
Kalae  *  ;  one  stoned  to  death  at  Aukukano  ;  a  priest 

*  Kalaniopuu's  father-in-law,  the  Alii  ai  moku  of  Kau,  was  thus 
killed. 

215 


2i6  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

killed  the  other,  King  Kohao-Kalani,  by  crushing  him 
with  an  enormous  wooden  idol,  rolled  down  upon  him 
from  the/tf'/z  of  Hilea. 

Keeaumoku  left  home  soon  after  the  morning  meal, 
leaving  his  second  son,  Kuakini,  to  make  Kamehameha 
better  acquainted  with  his  surroundings.  Kuakini  pro- 
posed that  our  young  Alii  should  gain  his  first  impres- 
sions of  Waipio  from  the  lofty  pdli,  and  together  the 
two  chiefs,  accompanied  by  "  Feather  Mantle  "  and  her 
sister,  Kalakua,  swam  the  river,  and  climbed  the  most 
accessible  cliff  near  Napopo. 

Seen  from  the  lofty /<#;,  Waipio  was,  and  still  is,  a  very 
paradise  of  beauty  to  look  upon.  Two  rough,  bare 
bluffs  abutted  upon  the  sea,  one  of  which  was  nearly  two 
thousand  feet  high.  Surf-boards  and  canoes  lay  scattered 
in  disorder  along  more  than  a  mile  of  smooth  sand- 
beach,  where  floundered  less  turbulent  breakers  than  at 
Waimanu.  A  line  of  high  sand-hills  skirted  the  shore, 
partially  protecting  the  valley  from  strong  sea  winds, 
though  at  times  furious  gusts  swept  into  it,  sufficiently 
strong  to  lift  the  frail  houses  from  their  foundations. 

The/^7/V  that  walled  the  sides  of  the  valley  were  vast 
corrugated  cliffs,  mostly  inaccessible,  yet  with  not  a  few 
steep  inclines  that  nimble  climbers  could  conquer. 
Down  these  slopes  the  people  coast  from  top  to  bottom, 
sliding  upon  strips  of  board,  bunches  of  tough  leaves,  or 
the  horny  stem  of  the  cocoa-nut  leaf. 

Along  the  river  banks,  near  every  high-chief's  house, 
were  housed  large  double  war  canoes,  ready  to  launch  at 
a  moment's  notice,  for  Waipio  was  the  great  naval  sta- 
tion of  Hawaii.  Hundreds  of  fishing  canoes  were  busy 
on  the  river,  or  on  the  large  walled  ponds  that  belonged 
to  the  king  and  the  great  chiefs.  Countless  dogs,  pigs, 


Scenes  in  Waipio.  217 

and  nude  brown  children  were  swimming  in  the  river. 
Native  gardeners  and  market-men  were  wading  the 
stream,  floating  down  their  produce  of  kalo,  potatoes,  or 
fruits,  from  the  upper  valley  seven  miles  away,  each  one 
crying  aloud  his  wares  or  provisions  from  mid-river,  or 
twisting  the  tail  of  the  pig  on  his  back,  so  that  the  crea- 
ture should  audibly  announce  himself  to  the  hungry 
world  as  for  sale. 

In  the  upper  and  middle  half  of  Waipio  a  river  flowed 
along  each  side  of  the  valley,  joining  lower  down  in 
one,  and  flowing  along  the  south  pdli  to  the  sea.  The 
whole  area  of  Waipio  was  one  perennial  garden  of  taro 
patches,  potato  fields,  plantations  of  banana,  sugar-cane, 
and  fruit-trees.  Dotting  these  cultivated  fields,  glittered 
the  artificial  ponds,  all  well  stocked  with  choice  fish  for 
the  chiefs.  Their  shining  surfaces  reflected  the  lofty 
pdlis  and  the  snow-crowned  summits  that,  rising  sharp 
and  clear  above  the  dark  green  forest  belt,  gained  the 
region  of  perpetual  snows,  whence  gigantic  Kea  flings 
down  his  sublime  benediction. 

Our  hero  was  familiar  with  the  historical  events  which 
had  happened  in  the  romajitic  valley,  the  home  of  a  hun- 
dred generations  of  chiefs  and  kings.  As  he  looked 
down  upon  the  charming  picture  at  his  feet  and  caught 
glimpses  of  famous  battle-fields,  renowned  heidus,  and 
the  former  homes  of  great  kings  whose  bones  were 
mouldering  in  the  rocky  tombs  of  Puaahuku*  his  heart 
swelled  and  he  broke  into  passionate  utterances  which 
made  his  companions  look  upon  him  almost  with  awe. 
The  sympathies  of  "  Feather  Mantle "  were  aroused 
above  those  of  others,  and  she  crept  up  to  the  side  of 

*  King  Umi  was  deposited  in  a  cave  of  the  high/^//,  under  the 
great  falls  of  Hiilawe. 


218  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

this  strange  chief-boy,  took  his  hand,  and  drank  in  his 
mystic  words  as  if  they  were  oracles  from  the  gods. 

Kamehameha  pointed  out  varied  beauties  and  dis- 
closed wonderful  histories  of  the  famous  valley,  wholly 
new  to  the  native-born  chiefs  by  his  side.  They  listened 
to  this  Waimanu  youth  as  he  described  the  invasions  of 
long-gone  years,  when  every  house  had  been  burned 
and  every  fruit-tree  destroyed  in  the  lower  valley  by 
some  invader  from  Maui,  or  yet  more  malicious  chief 
from  their  own  southern  districts  of  Hilo  or  Puna,  which 
were  often  ruled  by  warlike  kings. 

They  heard  this  embryo  warrior  tell  how  each  of  the 
great  battles  had  been  lost,  and  presumptuously  explain 
how  they  might  all  have  been  won.  It  was  down  the 
very  cliff  whereon  they  sat  that  most  of  the  invaders  had 
found  entrance  to  the  valley.  Kamehameha  showed 
how  certain  of  the  hills  along  the  river  should  be  forti- 
fied, so  that  the  few  could  withstand  the  many. 
The  wise  boy  said  other  memorable  things,  and  thus 
they  passed  the  forenoon,  returning  to  Napopo  in  time 
for  dinner.  There  a  message  awaited  Kamehameha  in- 
viting him  to  the  palace,  and  their  afternoon  excursion 
up  the  valley  to  the  ancient  heidu  of  Pakalani  was  post- 
poned for  another  day. 

With  his  aikane,  Kamehameha  started  down  the  river, 
after  receiving  the  advice  from  Namahana  to  avoid  being 
too  outspoken  about  affairs  pertaining  to  court  or  state 
matters.  It  was  such  advice  as  his  mother  would  have 
given  him  upon  a  like  occasion. 

Kalaniopuu  sat  in  the  shade  of  the  king-palms  in  front 
of  the  palace,  his  only  companions  being  Keeaumoku  and 
Hewahewa,  the  high-priest's  arrogant  son.  Guards,  a 
group  of  inferior  priests,  and  another  group  of  war-chiefs 


Kamfkam/ha  in  Council.  219 

of  inferior  rank  were  playing  konane  (checkers)  and  other 
games  on  the  river  bank  and  about  the  palace  grounds. 
All  of  them  were  beyond  the  stipulated  distance  of  ear- 
shot, but  some  of  these  gamesters  were  known  to  be 
spies  of  Kahekili. 

When  the  coast  was  clear  for  an  uninterrupted  meeting 
of  father  and  son,  the  king  made  no  secret  of  his  pleasure 
in  seeing  him.  He  told  Kamehameha  that  the  Kahuna 
and  the  high-chief  had  been  taken  into  confidence  about 
his  birth.  But  they  were  bound  to  the  closest  secrecy, 
as  the  king  feared  that  Kamehameha  would  not  be  suf- 
fered to  live  should  his  royal  birth  be  made  known  at 
that  time.  Hungry  aspirants  for  the  throne  were  making 
conspiracies  against  the  king's  own  life ;  and  a  person 
less  thoroughly  protected  could  not  live  a  day  among 
the  deadly  intrigues. 

One  of  the  court  spies  had  overheard  a  midnight 
interview  between  Kahekili,  Alapai,  and  Kiwalao,  in 
which  the  prince  counted  his  resources  in  chiefs,  and  in 
the  number  men  that  each  of  them  could  bring  into  the 
field.  Among  the  most  formidable  chiefs  on  the  prince's 
side  was  Keoiia,  his  uncle,  and  Keawe,  the  governing 
chief  of  the  Hilo  district.  Both  of  these  warlike  noble- 
men, half-brothers  of  the  king,  were  jealous  of  Keeau- 
moku's  ascendancy  at  court. 

The  royal  councillors  had  deemed  it  best  to  prepare  a 
strong  army  to  invade  Maui,  as  the  best  means  of  occu- 
pying the  conspirators,  as  well  as  for  a  just  punishment 
for  Kahekili's  intrigues  against  Hawaii.  As  a  matter  of 
courtesy  the  king  asked  his  son  what  he  thought  of  the 
plan,  and  the  reply,  bold,  incisive,  and  energetic,  sur- 
prised all  present.  This  boy  in  years  was  found  to  be  a 
man  in  wisdom,  and  already  full  of  wise  expedients. 


22O  Kam&amtha  the  Great. 

Kame'hame'ha's  suggestions  for  invading  Maui  were 
novel.  Instead  of  seeking  the  enemy  in  their  own 
strongholds  on  West  Maui,  where  Kahekili  could  fight 
surrounded  by  his  whole  resources,  the  young  Alii 
advised  landing  an  army  on  East  Maui,  to  seize  and  for- 
tify the  mountain  passes,  thus  occupying  the  thriftiest 
part  of  the  island  without  bloodshed,  and  compelling 
the  enemy  to  assume  the  offensive. 

This  plan,  after  a  brief  discussion  among  the  four 
chiefs,  was  accepted  by  all.  Then  arose  the  question  of 
where  the  fortifications  should  be  built,  it  being  neces- 
sary to  choose  strategic  positions,  so  that  small  garrisons 
could  hold  the  country  after  the  army  was  withdrawn. 

Kamehameha  suggested  that  the  principal  point  to 
fortify  was  Wailuku ;  as  the  almost  impregnable  hill  of 
Kauwiki,  in  the  Hana  district,  was  held  by  Hawaii. 
These  places  were  accepted  as  most  suitable  for  the 
purpose.  Then  arose  the  question  where  should  be  the 
battle-field,  the  most  advantageous  place  to  meet  the 
enemy,  if  he  forced  a  battle. 

Kamehameha's  choice  of  battle-fields  amazed  the  con- 
servative chiefs.  He  proposed  to  meet  the  foe  in  the 
gigantic  pass  of  Wailuku,  where,  once  joined  in  battle, 
there  could  be  no  retreat  for  either  party  until  one  or  the 
other  was  overwhelmed.  To  plan  a  deadly  and  decisive 
conflict  on  the  brink  of  a  pdli  2,000  feet  high,  showed  a 
grim  courage  wholly  foreign  to  the  slow,  sure  methods 
of  the  Hawaiian  chiefs,  who  always  chose  their  battle- 
ground with  reference  to  a  safe  retreat.  The  king  and 
Keeaumoku  could  not  bring  themselves  to  adopt  the 
young  chief's  strategy  ;  yet  it  had  the  effect  of  infusing 
unusual  vigor  into  their  own  plans,  and  created  a  strong 
admiration  for  Kamehameha's  boldness  and  courage  of 
conception. 


His  Conception  of  War.  221 

The  proof  that  Kamehameha's  choice  of  battle-ground 
was  the  right  one  is  shown  by  the  fact,  as  told  in  history, 
that  his  own  subsequent  battle  of  lao,  fought  there,  was 
the  only  battle  necessary  to  win  and  hold  Maui  forever. 
On  that  day  he  destroyed  a  much  stronger  army  than  his 
own,  damming  the  river  lao  with  dead  bodies ;  so  that 
the  bloody  contest  received  the  name  of  Kapauiwai  (stop- 
ping the  waters). 

The  war  council  was  soon  broken  up  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  prince  and  his  half-brother,  Keoua  the 
younger.*  Kiwalao  was  returning  from  a  fishing  party. 
Landing  from  the  river,  he  came  swaggering  up  to  his 
father,  nodding  haughtily  to  Kamehameha,  while  he  filled 
the  ear  of  the  chiefs  with  his  piscatory  exploits.  He 
told  Kamehameha  that  he  was  going  to  give  his  attention 
to  spear  practice  and  would  show  him  a  thing  or  two  in 
that  line. 

As  the  afternoon  was  drawing  to  a  close,  Keeaumoku 
rose,  and  accompanied  by  Kamehameha  took  his  way 
homeward  ;  entering,  on  reflection,  more  and  more  fully 
into  the  plan  of  conquering  Maui.f 

*  The  king  had  two  sons  named  Keoua,  half-brothers  of  Kiwalao, 
by  wife  number  five,  one  of  whom  fought  against  Kamehameha  for 
nine  years. 

f  The  Hana  district  of  Maui,  and  the  strong  fortress  of  Kauwiki, 
being  a  part  of  Queen  Kalola's  patrimony,  Kalaniopuu  conquered  it 
in  1759,  as  rightfully  belonging  to  his  queen.  Though  East  Maui 
was  often  assailed  previous  to  Kahekili's  time,  even  he  did  not  suc- 
ceed in  retaking  the  fort  until  the  last  year  of  Kalaniopuu's  reign. 


XXVII. 

SATAN    CONFRONTING    THE    PRINCE. 

BEFORE  the  family's  simple  repast  of  fish  and  pot, 
with  a  dessert  of  guavas,  was  fairly  over  one 
pleasant  morning,  Hewahewa  was  seen  paddling  up  the 
river  alone  in  a  canoe.  The  unusual  circumstance  of 
the  high-priest  *  thus  coming  by  himself  implied  some 
matter  of  importance  with  Keeaumoku.  But  the  fact  of 
the  haughty  Kahuna's  coming  alone  showed  no  wish  for 
haste,  but  rather  for  secrecy. 

Keeaumoku  rose  at  once  from  his  breakfast,  leaving 
the  yellow  rinds  of  at  least  eight  large  guavas  to  attest 
his  appetite,  and  hastened  to  the  river-side  to  greet 
Hewahewa.  After  a  brief  time  of  earnest  talk  and  ener- 
getic gesticulation,  Keeaumoku  called  up  the  garden 
path  for  Kamehameha  to  join  them.  He  took  his  spear 
and  went,  wondering  what  topic  could  so  interest  these 
notable  men. 

The  beetle-browed  priest  greeted  the  young  Alii  more 
kindly  than  usual,  for  hitherto  he  had  kept  himself 
somewhat  aloof  from  the  new-comer.  Now  he  invited 
him  to  go  up  the  river  to  the  Puhonua,  or  "  city  of  ref- 
uge," whose  priest  was  a  great-uncle  of  theirs. 

Gladly  accepting  the  invitation,  he  stepped  into  Hewa- 

*  The  aged  Holoae  was  the  king's  high-priest,  but  Hewahewa 
now  acted  as  such. 

222 


The  Priest  and  Prince.  223 

hewa's  canoe.  Eager  as  he  was  to  know  every  thing 
about  Waipio,  Kamehameha  was  still  more  interested  in 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  high-priest,  the  most 
remarkable  man  among  all  the  descendants  of  Paao. 
His  distrustful  manner  had  previously  led  Kamehameha 
to  observe  the  crafty  Kahuna  closely,  and  he  had  not 
failed  to  perceive  a  gradual  change  for  the  better.  Nor 
was  the  chief  wholly  at  a  loss  to  explain  the  fact,  knowing 
that  the  king  had  told  Hewahewa  about  his  new-found 
son.  But  it  was  now  the  young  Alii's  turn  to  become 
reserved  and  watchful,  using  his  utmost  sagacity  to  learn 
what  degree  of  confidence  could  be  put  in  the  priest's 
friendliness,  as  implied  by  this  request  for  a  private  in- 
terview. 

The  motherly  Namahana  had  readily  accounted  for 
his  coolness  by  his  surprise  at  Kamehameha's  appear- 
ance at  court,  and  the  disdain  that  he  had  shown  for  the 
king's  guard  and  the  priest's  tabii  restrictions.  What 
had  since  happened  to  abate  Hewahewa's  distrust,  she 
could  not  determine.  But  she  feared  that  the  change 
was  too  sudden  to  be  of  good  omen,  and  her  last  words 
of  advice  were  to  withhold  all  confidence  from  the 
crafty  Kahtina. 

Hewahewa  was  the  most  complex  character  remaining 
at  court  since  the  departure  of  the  Leeward  kings.  Rarely, 
indeed,  is  a  man's  nature  made  up  of  so  many  contradic- 
tions as  his.  He  was  a  short,  broad-shouldered,  slightly 
humpbacked  man.  His  gross,  uncouth  features  repelled 
a  timid  nature  at  a  glance ;  still  more  his  unfeeling 
questions,  which  recalled  the  coarse  self-righteousness 
with  which  the  ancient  Jesuits  loved  to  trample  on  the 
privacy  of  tender  souls.  Such  was  the  cold  and  sinister 
manner  of  Hewahewa  as  a  priest.  But  more  than  this  ; 


224  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

when  his  will  was  crossed  he  wore  an  expression  so  deri- 
sive and  demoniacal  that  even  the  boldest  shrank  from 
him  appalled,  as  when  one  treads  barefooted  upon  a 
snake.  Even  in  his  best  moods,  few  men  cared  to  meet 
the  stern  glance  of  his  deep-set  eyes.  Fewer  yet  could 
quite  determine  whether  the  charm  of  his  voice  in  con- 
versation was  meant  to  cover  a  malediction  or  a  blessing. 
He  could  ambush  his  bitterest  scorn  behind  a  seductive 
smile,  then  stab  to  the  heart.  None  but  the  keenest 
could  fathom  his  meaning.  To  hear  the  musical  utter- 
ance of  Hewahewa's  voice  without  seeing  the  man 
would  charm  the  listening  ear  of  an  angel.  But  how 
quickly  the  charm  of  his  eloquence  was  displaced  by 
distrust  or  dismay  the  instant  one  became  subjected  to 
his  evil  eye  !  Such  was  the  monster  who  now  sought  to 
entice  our  hero  into  his  serpent  coils. 

Even  in  his  warm  greeting  to  Kamehameha,  with  voice 
soft  as  a  bird-song,  the  sinister  expression  of  his  face 
strongly  contradicted  the  soft-worded  message.  His 
searching  eye  seemed  eagerly  questioning  if  the  chief 
dared  distrust  his  wordy  welcome,  while  the  curl  of  his 
lips  disclosed  a  menace,  should  any  doubt  be  shown. 

Bidding  aloha  to  Keeaumoku,  and  making  his  most 
courtly  address  to  Namahana  and  her  family,  seen  in  the 
distance,  the  priest  and  the  Alii  launched  their  canoe 
and  paddled  slowly  up  the  smooth-flowing  river. 

With  pleasant  condescension  Hewahewa  chatted  gayly 
with  the  indolent  chiefs  who  lounged  along  the  grassy 
shore,  enjoying  the  delightful  lomi-lomi,  or  being  anointed 
after  their  bath.  Often  they  paddled  among  laughing 
groups  of  merry  swimmers,  men,  women,  and  children, 
who  spent  hours  in  the  soft  clear  waters. 

At   length,  when  the   two   had  paddled   beyond  the 


Scenes  by  the  River.  225 

region  occupied  by  the  lordly  chiefs,  and  had  reached  a 
part  of  the  valley  where  only  a  few  poor  Kanakas  lived, — 
priest-ridden  people  whom  the  lightest  flutter  of  Hewa- 
hewa's  tabii  flag  sent  scampering  out  of  the  river  in  wild 
dismay — then  the  priest  confronted  his  victim. 

Assuming  at  once  a  sedate  manner  that  might  be 
deemed  almost  stern  and  arrogant,  but  for  his  usual 
delusive  smile,  the  crafty  Kahuna  turned  to  Kamehameha 
and  unfolded  his  purpose. 

"  Noble  Alii,  is  it  true,  as  the  king  has  had  the  kind- 
ness to  inform  me,  that  you  have  been  confirmed  as 
Kahuna  maoli  of  Mukini  by  the  gracious  Pele  herself  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,  Hewahewa.  Pele  came  in  person  to 
Mukini,  and  conferred  the  highest  priesthood  of  the 
land  upon  me."  And  Kamehameha  confronted  his  arro- 
gant companion.  The  two  sat  there  eye  to  eye,  each 
unquailing  and  undismayed. 

"  Then,  Alii  kapu,  you  outrank  us  all  if  you  choose  to 
assert  your  right  !  "  The  fierce  eyes  plainly  said  : 
"  Claim  your  right  if  you  dare  !  " 

"  Yes.  Such  is  the  will  of  the  supreme  deity  of  the 
land,"  was  Kame"hameha's  answer,  replying  more  to  the 
overbearing  look  of  the  eyes  than  to  the  guarded  asser- 
tion of  the  priest. 

"  May  I  ask  what  may  be  the  purpose  of  the  Kahtina 
maoli  of  Hawaii  ?  " 

"  I  have  chosen  the  rdle  of  a  royal  war-chief,  and  mean 
to  make  state-craft  and  the  art  of  war  my  life  purpose, 
leaving  priest-craft  to  others  for  the  present." 

The  lurid  light  was  subdued  in  Hewahewa's  eyes  at 
this  answer  ;  his  voice  became  softer  and  his  smile  more 
seductive  than  ever.  But  Kamehameha  now  saw  that  he 
had  disclosed  too  much  of  his  own  plans,  without  learn- 


226  Kamtkamtha  the  Great. 

ing  what  the  priest's  purpose  might  be,  or  knowing 
whether  the  wily  Kahuna  would  deign  to  serve  under  a 
new  political  leader. 

"  Then  Hewahewa  remains  the  high-priest  after  Ho- 
loae's  death  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  provided  I  do  not  find  myself  compelled  to 
assume  my  priesthood  in  order  to  mature  my  political 
plans."  Again  the  storm-clouds  lowered  on  the  cum- 
brous brow  of  the  priest,  and  his  lips  curled  at  this  seem- 
ing vacillation. 

"  You  amazed  us  all  at  the  war-council  yesterday.  I 
then  discovered  that  your  mind  was  filled  with  great 
plans  for  the  future,  which,  if  matured,  must  place  you 
above  all  your  compeers." 

"  Then  you  approved  of  my  views  ?  " 

"  Yes,  as  far  as  you  disclosed  them." 

"  Tell  me  something  of  your  own  manao  (thought)  as 
to  the  condition  of  the  country,"  said  Kamehameha. 

"  I,  too,  have  ambitions  for  the  future  greatness  of 
Hawaii.  I  have  sought  you  out  this  morning  to  learn 
the  true  bent  of  your  schemes,  that,  if  possible,  we  may 
befriend  each  other.  I  k-now  not  what  inference  you 
have  drawn  from  our  meeting,  but  it  is  plain  that  there  is 
not  room  for  two  such  aspiring  souls  as  ours  in  the  same 
career.  If  Kamehameha  chooses  to  abjure  the  priest- 
hood, then  with  the  aid  of  a  few  great  leaders  like  Keeau- 
moku  and  myself,  the  god-born  of  Mukini  can  attain  any 
degree  of  political  power  he  may  aspire  to." 

"  Hewahewa,  I  am  glad  you  have  been  so  outspoken. 
The  frank  face  of  Keeaumoku  won  me  at  a  glance,  and 
has  doubly  confirmed  my  choice  ;  but  you  have  filled 
my  mind  with  distrust  of  your  purpose  and  fear  of  your 
proffered  friendship." 


Hewahewa' s  Schemes.  227 

"  I  read  as  much,  and  I  saw  that  we  two  could  make 
or  mar  each  other's  fortune.  The  kingdom  of  Hawaii  is 
too  small  for  us  unless  we  go  hand  in  hand.  We  ought 
to  be  mutual  aids  to  the  pinnacle  of  our  desires,  but  we 
must  not  conflict  in  our  aims  ;  and  our  purposes  must  be 
well  defined  before  we  part." 

"  Most  noble  Kahuna,  I  will  be  plain  spoken  with  you, 
as  you  desire.  The  kingdom  of  the  "  Eight  Isles  "  is 
mine  !  I  only  await  the  proper  opportunity  to  take  my 
own.  Kalaniopuu  shall  be  maintained  on  his  throne 
while  he  lives,  against  all  the  powers  of  priest-craft,  the 
intrigues  of  the  Leeward  kings,  and  the  conspiracies  of 
Kiwalao  and  the  dissaffected  chiefs  at  home.  Who- 
ever comes  willingly  to  join  my  upward  path  shall  attain 
to  the  highest  position  in  my  kingdom  that  he  is  capable 
of  filling.  But  I  will  accept  aid  from  no  man, — whether 
priest,  peasant,  or  noble  alii, — who  dares  to  aspire  to 
more  of  the  spoils  of  my  kingdom  than  I  choose  to 
give." 

The  face  of  Hewahewa  momentarily  grew  more  hideous 
to  look  upon  as  the  clarion  tones  of  the  young  prince 
rang  their  proud  ultimatum  in  his  ear,  and  his  features 
became  surcharged  with  blood  as  he  listened  to  this 
unheard-of-assumption.  Trembling  with  passion  the 
priest  replied  in  tones  of  withering  scorn  : 

"  Most  royal  chief,  you  speak  with  trumpet  tones,  as  if 
the  thing  you  aspire  to  were  accomplished,  and  you  were 
already  dispensing  your  favors  with  an  arrogant  hand. 
Hewahewa  has  offered  you  the  aid  of  the  future  high- 
priest  of  Hawaii,  the  priceless  service  of  one  as  proud 
and  fearless  as  yourself.  I  come  as  your  equal,  ready 
to  share  your  exaltation  or  your  fall.  What  would  you 
more  ?  " 


228  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

"  Noble  Kahuna !  Kamehameha  accepts  no  equal  a- 
mong  all  the  sons  of  men.  Let  every  kahuna  aspire  to  the 
highest  priesthood  of  the  land,  and  every  noble  chief  look 
forward  to  becoming  the  bosom  friend  of  the  conqueror. 
Whoso  is  worthy  shall  have  the  guerdon.  As  Kame- 
hameha was  given  birth  by  the  sanction  of  Pele,  so  his 
mission  has  been  conferred  upon  him  by  the  gods." 

"  Dares  the  royal  chief  assert  in  my  hearing  that  Pele 
has  not  only  made  him  the  Kahtina  maoli  of  Hawaii,  but 
has  also  bequeathed  him  the  six  kingdoms  of  the  sea  ?  " 

The  priest  stopped  paddling,  with  the  look  of  Satan 
foiled  of  a  victim.  Wheeling  furiously  around  to  con- 
front Kamehameha,  his  cat-like  eyes,  glaring  with  concen- 
trated rage,  hinted  that  his  credulity  was  being  imposed 
upon. 

"  Priest  !  you  forget  yourself.  Remember  you  are 
questioning  your  sacerdotal  chief.  Bethink  you  a  mo- 
ment that  the  goddess  can  bestow  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth  as  easily  as  the  superior  priesthood  of  Hawaii. 
But  you  have  barbed  your  passionate  question  by  asking 
me  if  I  '  dare.'  That  debars  me  from  further  reply." 

And  Kamehameha's  eyes  flashed,  and  his  proud  lips 
caught  the  trick  of  scorn  from  his  companion.  For  once 
Hewahewa  had  found  his  match,  one  destined  to  be  his 
master. 

"  The  royal  Alii  must  forgive  me.  I  did  indeed  forget 
the  courtesy  due  to  a  great  chief.  I  failed  to  remember 
the  homage  due  to  my  superior.  But,  Alii  kapu,  you  sur- 
prise me  by  the  extent  of  your  assumptions  !  You  are 
too. good  a  historian  to  assert  that  one  king  has  ever 
yet  ruled  over  all  the  '  Eight  Isles.'  Can  you  soberly 
tell  your  brother  kahtina  that  the  great  Pele,  the  creator 
of  the  world,  has  consigned  all  her  kingdoms  to  your 
care  ? " 


Unfolding  His  Mission.  229 

"  Yes,  even  before  she  conferred  the  rank  of  high- 
priest  upon  me.  But  this  secret  must  be  strictly  confined 
to  the  high-caste  priesthood." 

"  It  shall  be  respected,  as  coming  from  the  gods." 

"  As  we  stood  face  to  face  on  the  high  mountain, 
where  the  foot  of  man  never  had  trod,  the  words  of  the 
deity  were  these  :  Because  of  the  holy  birth  of  the  Alii,  he 
is  loved  of  the  gods,  and  shall  rule  supreme  over  the  destinies 
of  men'9 

"What  proof  of  this  can  you  offer  to  secure  men's 
allegiance  in  the  herculean  task  of  conquest?"  The 
priest's  tones  were  now  sweeter  than  the  honey  of  bees, 
and  his  smile  as  fascinating  as  moonlight ;  yet  neither 
dulcet  voice  nor  winning  smile  could  wholly  cover  the 
hate  which  filled  his  arrogant  soul. 

"  Pepehi  and  Wailele  are  sufficient  evidence  ;  they  are 
my  only  mortal  witnesses.  But  methinks  a  priest  of  your 
gifts  might  find  means  of  deriving  proof  from  the  gods, 
as  one  of  half  your  years  has  done  for  himself." 

"And  may  I  humbly  ask  what  you  have  in  store  for 
your  friend  ? "  He  spoke  with  quivering  lips,  and 
scarcely  suppressed  passion. 

"  If  you  serve  me  well,  Hewahewa  shall  remain  Kahuna 
maoli  of  Hawaii,  and  eventually  become  high-priest  of  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  group.  I  will  accept  no  colaborer 
who  claims  equal  rewards.  All  is  mine  when  I  choose  to 
take  it  ;  mine  by  the  will  of  the  gods,  and  by  my  power 
to  do  more  and  better  for  the  people  than  all  others  who 
have  gone  before  me." 

"  Kame"hameha  !  forgive  me,  for  my  mind  is  yet  stag- 
gered with  doubt.  Only  the  voice  of  deity  can  satisfy 
me  that  you  have  rightly  understood  the  divine  mes- 
sages." 


230  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

While  yet  Hewahewa  spoke  in  the  subdued  voice  of 
intense  emotion,  a  low  rumble  reached  the  ear.  All  un- 
seen a  gray  mist,  lurid  with  blue  flame,  had  suddenly 
gathered  on  the  pdli,  not  far  from  the  river.  The  earth 
rocked,  and  the  river  boiled  ;  and  while  yet  they  looked 
upon  the  pdli,  thousands  of  tons  of  the  great  cliff  fell, 
burying  a  small  village  and  its  inhabitants  near  the  heidu 
of  Pakalani.* 

With  a  look  of  consternation  Hewahewa  seized  his 
paddle  to  escape  from  the  place,  as  the  crash  and  roar  of 
the  falling  rocks  filled  the  whole  valley  with  terror.  Sud- 
denly the  earth  was  torn  open  beneath  them,  and  the 
river  disappeared  in  the  yawning  fissure.  The  canoe, 
stretching  across  the  chasm,  was  grounded  on  either  end 
on  the  black  sand  of  the  river  bed.  A  breath  of  sulphur 
came  up  from  below.  The  priest  fell  upon  his  knees 
and  invoked  the  divine  Pele  to  spare  him,  and  forgive  the 
iniquity  of  his  unbelief. 

Kamehameha  sat  calm  and  unmoved,  his  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  blue  flame  above  the  pdli.  He  strove  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  goddess  who  had  come  to  vindicate  him 
against  the  most  satanic  of  men.  The  monument  of 
Pele's  displeasure  remains  to  this  day.  A  ridge  of  black 
lava  rock  juts  out  into  the  valley  almost  to  the  verge  of 
the  river. 

Slowly  the  mist  and  the  pervading  flame  passed  away. 
The  fissure  closed  up  beneath  the  canoe,  and  the  roily 
waters  of  the  river  again  flowed  turbidly  in  their  course. 

*  See  Ellis'  "Tour  through  Hawaii,"  page  353,  for  a  description 
of  this  terrible  event.  "  A  mist  was  seen  to  gather  on  the  summit  of 
the  precipice,  with  something  like  a  lambent  flame,  a  forerunner  of 
Pele.  A  priest  offered  prayer,  interceding  with  Pele  ;  but  at  ten 
o'clock  the  side  of  the  mountain  fell  for  half  a  mile,  with  a  horrid 
crash." 


The  Priest's  Consternation.  231 

Hewahewa  mechanically  took  up  his  paddle,  and  with  a 
look  of  solemn  contrition  motioned  with  its  blade  toward 
the  heidu  of  Pakalani  ;  and  thither  the  rivals  paddled  in 
silence.  One  was  secretly  triumphing  over  the  rebuke 
that  had  been  given  to  the  arrogant  doubts  of  the  other. 
That  other,  humbled  by  the  victory  of  his  young  rival, 
was  also  troubled  because  of  his  impiety  toward  the 
supreme  god.  He  studied  how  he  could  make  his  peace 
with  Pele  ;  how  regain  the  confidence  of  Kamehameha. 
Hewahewa  was  not  one  to  evade  a  difficulty.  He  soon 
found  a  solution.  As  they  approached  the  heidu  he 
turned  to  his  companion  : 

"  Alii  kapu  !  I  have  prayed  earnestly  for  Pele  to  for- 
give my  unbelief.  I  am  now  the  third  human  witness  of 
Pele's  divine  behest  to  you.  May  I  again  ask  what  you 
have  in  store  for  Hewahewa  ? " 

"  Remain  the  chief  priest  of  the  land.  Check  the  use- 
less human  sacrifices.  Seek  to  build  up  the  people's 
belief  in  the  coming  ruler,  without  designating  who  he 
may  be.  Watch  and  wait  patiently  through  the  lifetime 
of  Kalaniopuu,  until  he  shall  die  in  peace  after  a  glorious 
reign  ;  and  band  our  adherents  closely  together  under 
the  trustiest  and  bravest  leaders  throughout  the  land. 
At  the  death  of  the  king  we  will  follow  the  behests  of 
Pele,  as  promulgated  from  every  heidu  that  we  can  win." 

"  Hewahewa  awaits  the  commands  of  the  god-born  of 
Mukini,  and  none  shall  be  found  truer  to  the  new  regime 
than  your  Kahuna  maoli.  Let  us  walk  up  to  Pakalani. 
Nahoko  is  a  descendant  of  our  great  ancestor,  Paao,  and 
he  should  be  won  to  our  cause  as  best  we  may  without 
disclosing  our  divine  authority,  or  making  known  the 
full  extent  of  our  plans.  Age  is  creeping  upon  Nahoko  ; 
with  him  old-established  things  cannot  easily  be  made 


232  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

new.  Let  him  manage  his  sacrifices  to  his  taste,  for  he 
has  not  a  finger's  weight  in  the  politics  of  the  outer 
world.  We  must  seek  your  strongest  adherent  among 
the  priesthoood  of  Waipio,  to  take  Nahoko's  place  at  his 
death.  Being  the  priest  of  the  city  of  refuge,  it  will  be 
wise  to  cultivate  his  friendship  in  the  chance  of  a  sudden 
need  for  a  place  of  refuge  in  time  of  peril." 


XXVIII. 

KAAHUMANU    INTRIGUES   FOR    A    THRONE. 

THE  priest  and  Kamehameha  found  Nahoko  at  the 
front  entrance  of  the  great  heidu  of  Pakalani, 
where  the  venerable  old  Kahuna  received  them  with 
much  courtesy.  Having  been  a  contemporary  of 
Wailele's  father,  the  famous  Wahupu,  he  was  delighted 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Kamehameha.  And  as  the 
young*  Alii  sought  to  win  every  notable  person  in  the 
valley  to  his  cause,  he  was  glad  to  meet  this  cordial  re- 
ception at  the  ancient  place  of  refuge. 

Nahoko  seated  his  guest  beneath  the  historic  pandanus 
tree  where  stood  the  house  of  Liloa,  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  of  the  ancient  kings,  fourteen  generations 
back.  Liloa  was  father  of  the  victorious  Umi,  and  also 
of  the  bloodthirsty  Hakau,  a  king  who  pleasured  him- 
self by  beheading  every  Kanaka  who  boasted  a  better 
head  of  hair  than  his  own  ;  who  sent  out  his  man-killers 
to  bring  him  in  the  best-tattooed  arms  of  his  kingdom, 
cleft  from  the  bodies  of  their  owners  to  minister  to  the 
aesthetic  studies  of  the  king. 

The  three  priests,  now  met  under  the  famous  pan- 
danus, were  all  Moo-o-lelo  (historians),  and  familiar  with 
the  ancient  stories  of  the  place. 

After  a  brief  sojourn  at  the  heidu ,  Nahoko  proposed 
going  to  examine  the  devastations  caused  by  the  fallen 
cliff,  an  event  which  was  unaccountable  to  all  but  the 

233 


234  Kam£ham/ha  the  Great. 

two  who  had  been  the  indirect  cause  of  it.  Thousands 
of  tons  of  lava  rock  had  fallen  upon  the  pretty  village  of 
Hepu,  obliterating  every  vestige  of  human  habitation, 
and  leaving  nothing  but  the  footpaths  that  led  to  it  from 
the  river  to  show  where  the  hamlet  and  its  thrifty  gar- 
dens had  been.  Twenty  natives  were  known  to  have 
been  killed.  A  large  fish-pond  had  been  filled  up,  and 
the  water  and  fish  were  flung  out  over  acres  of  ground 
beyond  the  ruins. 

Among  the  people  at  the  scene  of  the  disaster  were 
Kiwalao  and  "  Feather  Mantle."  The  priest  urged 
Kamehameha  to  seek  every  opportunity  of  conciliating 
the  prince,  as  the  best  means  of  keeping  the  intriguing 
youth  out  of  mischief  and  counteracting  his  rebellious 
plots.  These  already  promised  to  complicate  the  affairs 
of  the  kingdom  at  the  death  of  the  king. 

In  this  matter  Kamehameha  fully  agreed  with  the 
priest,  who  soon  managed  to  join  himself  to  Kiwalao's 
party.  Finding  the  prince  more  agreeable  than  usual, 
Kamehameha  took  the  trouble  to  relate  some  of  the 
terrible  scenes  he  had  witnessed  on  Mauna  Loa,  which 
captivated  the  wonder-loving  youth  like  a  fairy  tale. 
Prompted  by  Hewahewa,  Nahoko  invited  the  prince's 
party  to  dinner  at  Pakalani.  This  fortunately  threw  the 
two  royal  chiefs  together  for  the  day,  and  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances.  Kamehameha's  powers 
of  entertaining  were  unrivalled,  and  a  friendly  impres- 
sion was  made  upon  the  haughty  prince  ere  they  parted  ; 
the  more  easily  in  the  absence  of  his  low-born  compan- 
ions, before  whom  the  royal  scion  always  acted  the  worst 
that  was  in  him. 

One  ever-present  element  of  danger  bade  fair  to  pre- 
vent the  otherwise  possible  friendship  of  the  prince  boys. 


Court  Intrigues.  235 

Kaahumanu  was  an  imperious  beauty  ;  a  self-willed  in- 
triguing chiefess,  born  to  rule  with  an  unrelenting  hand, 
one  to  make  or  mar  the  friendship  of  the  princes  at  her 
pleasure.  There  was  but  one  way  of  inducing  the  con- 
nivance of  this  haughty  girl  ;  namely,  by  Kamehameha' s 
disclosing  to  her  the  secret  of  his  royal  birth.  Not  know- 
ing this,  the  ambitious  wahine  held  the  low-minded  Ki- 
walao  strongly  in  her  toils,  with  a  view  to  becoming  his 
future  queen  ;  using  him  merely  as  a  stepping-stone  to 
a  throne. 

The  intelligent  princess  had  daily  found  occasion  to 
scorn  and  contemn  the  evil  doings  of  her  flippant-minded 
lover,  and  was  now  hourly  becoming  fascinated  with  the 
strong  character  of  Kamehameha,  who  was  well-fitted  to 
attract  a  noble-minded  girl.  Yet  Kaahumanu — wise 
above  her  years — was  fully  capable  of  losing  her  heart  to 
one  chief  and  holding  fast  to  the  other,  for  the  aggran- 
dizement of  herself  and  her  dethroned  family.  She  did 
her  best  to  give  her  undivided  attention  to  the  jealous- 
minded  Kiwalao  during  this  interview.  But  the  charm 
of  the  rival  chief  often  won  her  smile,  and  brightened 
the  glance  of  her  elfin  eyes,  until  her  praises  caused  an 
angry  frown  to  lower  on  the  brow  of  the  prince.  Herein 
lay  the  insurmountable  difficulty  of  cementing  a  friend- 
ship between  the  two  royal  youths.  Kamehameha  took 
in  the  situation  at  once,  for  the  searching  glance  of  his 
deep,  dark  eyes  was  ever  weighing  the  dominant  charac- 
teristics of  every  notable  about  the  court.  Like  a  for- 
midable chess-player,  he  would  forecast  the  moves  of 
each,  and  devise  his  future  checkmates  for  them  all. 

On  the  first  day  of  his  arrival  at  Waipio,  the  heart  of 
the  young  Alii  had  admonished  him  that  "  Feather 
Mantle  "  was  the  only  wahine  he  had  yet  seen  worthy  to 


236  Kamehameha  the  Great. 

become  his  future  queen.  It  was  therefore  a  sad  blow  to 
his  hopes  when  he  soon  after  learned  that  the  imperious 
beauty  was  already  affianced  to  the  prince.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  before  he  discovered  that  the  heart  of  the 
maiden  was  as  yet  untrammelled.  This  gave  him  his  clue 
to  action.  It  was  now  only  necessary  to  delay  their  mar- 
riage until  the  time  should  come  right  for  him  to  show 
his  hand  ;  then  suddenly  to  make  disclosure  of  his  birth 
and  win  the  game. 

As  we  have  seen,  Kamehameha  had  already  found 
means  to  touch  the  maiden's  heart,  to  win  the  mother's 
affection,  and  to  gain  a  strong  advocate  in  Keeaumoku, 
who  not  only  secretly  despised  the  prince,  but  was 
shrewd  enough  to  see  the  probability  of  Kamehameha's 
coming  to  a  throne,  whether  his  own  or  another's. 

From  that  day  the  young  chiefs  frequently  practised 
with  spears  and  war  clubs  together,  usually  under  the 
watchful  eye  and  skilful  instruction  of  Keeaumoku. 
Together  they  swam  in  the  surf  in  friendly  competition 
where  Kamehameha  found  no  equal ;  being  capable  of 
standing  upright  on  his  swift-rushing  surfboard  as  it 
darted  forward,  a  half-mile  course,  on  the  front  crest  of 
the  furious  breakers,  to  the  admiration  and  amazement 
of  all.* 

It  was  in  the  Waipio  breakers  that  he  saved  Kaahu- 
manu's  life,  an  incident  which  served  to  bind  the  two  in 
yet  stronger  bonds.  Namahana  and  two  of  her  daugh- 
ters were  one  day  passing  around  the  stern  of  a  fishing 
canoe,  just  hauled  out  upon  the  beach,  when  a  huge 
comber  came  tumbling  in  upon  them  and  dashed 

*  There  was  great  rivalry  at  this  game  among  the  chiefs.  King 
Umi  once  put  to  death  a  chief  who  had  triumphed  over  him  when  a 
youth. 


The  Drowning  Princess.  237 

Kaahumanu  against  the  canoe,  bruising  her  head,  and 
leaving  the  insensible  maiden  to  be  swept  back  in  the 
undertow  of  the  receding  breakers.  The  only  men  at 
hand  were  the  superstitious  fishermen  and  the  timid 
Kiwalao,  who  thinking  the  girl  was  killed,  set  up  a  wail : 

Auwe  !  Auwe  !  Dead  !  dead  is  the  daughter  of  Keeau- 
moku  !  The  beautiful  wahine  is  killed,  and  swept  away 
into  the  sea,  where  dwells  the  god  Moa-alii."  The 
heartless  prince  stood  by  wringing  his  hands,  and  would 
have  let  her  drown. 

Kamehameha  was  at  that  moment  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away  on  his  surfboard,  careering  shoreward  at  a  furious 
rate  upon  a  mad-rolling  breaker.  He  had  seen  the  acci- 
dent, and  he  now  guided  his  surfboard  toward  the  scene. 
He  passed  over  the  drowning  maiden  as  the  fierce  under- 
tow swept  her  seaward  along  the  sandy  incline  of  the 
bottom.  Diving  after  her,  he  brought  the  princess  to 
the  surface,  bleeding  and  stunned,  and  to  all  appearances 
wholly  past  resuscitation.  Holding  her  pallid  face  well 
above  the  sea,  Kamehameha  swam  with  the  girl  as  best 
he  could  for  the  shore,  where,  after  long-continued  effort, 
she  was  finally  restored  ;  this  being  the  second  time  the 
royal  maiden  had  been  rescued  from  a  watery  grave.* 

"  After  this  event,  it  often  happened  that  "  Feather 
Mantle"  found  difficulty  in  curbing  her  growing  con- 
tempt for  Kiwalao's  want  of  manliness  and  lack  of  cour- 
age, while  Kamehameha  was  daily  gaining  ground  in  the 
young  girl's  heart.  Had  she  not  often  been  prompted 
by  her  father  at  this  time,  Kaahumanu  would  have 
failed  to  hold  the  prospective  king  in  her  toils. 

Because  of   his    love    for   the   king,  Keeaumoku  fre- 

*  See  Bingham's  "  Sandwich  Islands  "  for  a  brief  mention  of  this 
incident,  p.  30. 


238  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

quently  assumed  the  thankless  task  of  instilling  courage 
into  the  heart  of  the  prince.  He  taught  Kiwalao  heroic 
tales  of  the  wars  of  his  country  ;  strove  to  make  the 
timid  prince  proficient  in  warlike  exercises,  and  made 
many  an  effort  to  awaken  a  noble  ambition  worthy  of  his 
birth. 

But  the  cool  and  fearless  Kamehameha  was  ever  the 
pride  of  the  old  chief's  heart.  Though  but  twenty  at 
this  time,  Kamehameha  was  of  much  greater  stature  than 
his  effeminate  half-brother,  and  could  catch  twice  as 
many  spears  when  flung  at  his  naked  breast ;  while  in 
wrestling  there  was  not  a  youth  in  the  kingdom  who 
could  throw  him,  or  compete  with  him  in  any  athletic 
exercise. 

The  manliness  of  the  young  giant  finally  so  won  upon 
the  love  of  Keeaumoku  that  Namahana,  soon  after  this 
rescue,  induced  him  to  betroth  Kaahumanu  privately  to 
the  young  Alii ;  the  affair  to  be  kept  secret  until  after 
the  death  of  Kalaniopuu. 

But,  woman-like,  the  dark-eyed  princess  continued  to 
show  preference  in  public  for  the  foppish  prince,  though 
deep  down  in  her  heart  an  undying  love  for  the  rival 
chief  was  daily  maturing.  This  was  but  a  trait  of  the 
vanity  of  her  sex  ;  a  girlish  pride  to  hold  in  her  train 
of  admirers  the  chief  of  highest  rank,  even  though  she 
despised  him.  As  compared  to  her  love  for  Kamehame- 
ha, her  feeling  for  Kiwalao  was  but  a  bubble,  without 
weight  or  substance,  the  momentary  sparkle  of  a  foam- 
crest  upon  a  mighty  billow. 

At  that  age  Kamehameha  was  a  swarthy,  harsh-feat- 
ured youth,  and  often  grave  and  reflective  in  his  moods, 
even  in  the  sparkling  presence  of  "  Feather  Mantle." 
Traits  like  these  readily  excite  the  displeasure  of  a  young 


Betrothed  to  Two  Lovers.  239 

imperious  beauty.  In  thoughtful  moments  Kaahumanu 
well  knew  that  Kamehameha's  heart  was  capable  of  a 
thousand  times  greater  love  than  that  of  her  princely 
admirer,  who  at  his  best  was  only  fit  for  a  woman's  toy. 
Thus  it  happened  that  the  child-princess  was  betrothed 
to  two  prospective  kings. 


XXIX. 

THE    WAR    WITH    MAUI. 

MONTHS  of  warlike  preparation  had  passed  since 
the  visit  of  Kahekili.  Hundreds  of  war  canoes 
now  filled  the  countless  nooks  and  havens  along  the 
Kohala  shore,  ready  to  transport  a  great  army  and  its 
provision  to  Maui.  The  Hawaiians  were  going  to  cap- 
ture East  Maui,  the  most  fertile  half  of  the  island,  in 
revenge  for  the  warlike  intrigues  and  rebellious  con- 
spiracies that  had  been  hatched  by  Kahekili  during  his 
recent  visit. 

Following  the  custom  of  those  days,  a  public  meeting 
of  high  chiefs  had  been  called  to  discuss  national  affairs 
and  decide  upon  the  best  method  of  attacking  the  enemy. 
Although  the  king  and  his  privy  councillors  had  already 
agreed  upon  the  plan  of  campaign,  yet  a  council  served 
the  purpose  of  creating  popular  enthusiasm  by  giving 
the  high  chiefs  a  voice  in  a  national  movement  like  the 
present. 

Several  days  had  been  spent  in  feasting  and  discussing 
the  war,  when  at  the  last  hour  Hewahewa  and  Keeau- 
moku  cunningly  contrived  to  arouse  a  general  demand  to 
hear  a  word  from  Kamehameha  on  national  affairs.  The 
popular  young  Naihe,  his  eloquent  old  father,  and  many 
other  gifted  orators,  had  held  the  warlike  assembly  en- 
thralled as  by  a  mystic  spell,  when  this  sudden  call  arose. 

With  a  modest  demeanor  that  well  became  the  young 
240 


Kame'hame'hci  s  War  Speech.  241 

Alii,  Kamehameha  took  his  place  within  the  circle  of 
noble  chiefs.  But  the  kindling  fire  in  his  dark  eyes,  and 
a  majestic  mien  which  betokened  conscious  rank,  in- 
spired a  wild  enthusiasm  of  cheers  even  before  he  spoke  : 

"  My  king,  and  you  most  noble  chiefs,  accept  my 
thanks  for  your  courtesy  inpermitting  one  so  young  to 
have  voice  in  your  councils. 

"  Though  coming  from  the  seclusion  of  Waimanu,  my 
thoughts  have  long  dwelt  upon  the  crying  need  of  my 
country  for  peace.  We  must  agree  that  it  is  a  great  evil 
to  be  ruled  by  too  many  kings.  Six  kings  to  eight 
islands  are  five  too  many.  Too  many  masters  have  op- 
pressed our  people,  because  the  constant  intrigues  of 
treacherous  rulers  have  given  them  opportunity.  Let  us 
now  go  forth  to  battle  and  conquer  the  isles  for  our  own 
loved  king  !  Hereafter  Maui,  Molokai,  and  Oahu  shall 
be  ruled  with  even-handed  justice  by  a  single  monarch. 
Who  among  you  does  not  know  the  barbarous  condition 
of  the  Leeward  Isles  ? 

"  Maui  is  a  land  of  robbers  !  The  petty  chiefs  of  a 
treacherous  king  infest  every  shore  and  public  highway, 
lying  in  wait  to  kill  and  steal  from  all  comers.  It  is  a 
land  of  assassins,  prompted  by  the  murderous  Kahekili. 
He  dethroned  Namahana,  the  rightful  queen,  and  hunted 
her  down  with  poisoned  dagger  and  ambushed  spears, 
until  she  was  driven  to  our  shores  for  safety. 

"  Oahu  is  a  land  of  cannibals  !  Her  rich  valleys  and 
fruitful  groves  are  peopled  with  Ai  Kandkas,  whose 
chiefs  spend  their  lives  in  cannibalism.  Kalo  of  Hale- 
manu  is  a  monster  of  this  kind.  Kahanu  and  his  brother 
Kawelao,  the  descendants  of  Newa,  are  also  given  to  this 
vile  business.*  Who  among  you  does  not  detest  the 

*See  Dibble's  "  History  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,"  p.  135. 


242  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

chief  who  eats  his  brother  man  ?  Let  us  go  forth  to  slay 
the  cannibal  kings  and  to  conquer  the  treacherous  ones, 
like  Kahekili,  who  came  in  friendly  guise  to  Hawaii,  and 
while  feasting  upon  our  plenty,  conspired  to  set  our  noble 
chiefs  at  war  among  themselves. 

"  Are  there  any  here  who  do  not  love  our  own  great 
king  ?  If  so,  let  them  hide  among  the  monsters  of  the 
Leeward  Isles.  Is  there  any  one  here  who  doubts  that 
honor  and  truth  are  the  noblest  guide-stars  in  the  heart 
of  man  ?  If  such  there  be,  let  him  go  live  among  the 
At  Kanakas  of  Oahu,  or  abide  in  Maui,  where  the  pois- 
oned dagger  ever  follows  the  seductive  smile  of  Kahekili. 

"  Some  of  you  handle  your  daggers  with  a  nervous 
grasp,  and  scornfully  think  you  could  defend  yourselves 
were  you  there.  The  stoutest  warrior  among  you  all  has 
tried  it,  and  was  glad  to  seek  our  peaceful  shores  in 
safety." 

The  speech  was  well  received,  and  a  hundred  war 
chiefs  came  eagerly  forward  to  greet  this  new  accession 
to  their  councils. 

Sometime  during  the  summer  of  1775  Kalaniopuu  sent 
a  body  of  troops  to  Maui  to  join  forces  with  the  garrison 
at  Hana  in  a  raid  upon  Kaupo  and  the  surrounding 
country,  with  orders  to  secure  all  the  warlike  stores  they 
could  capture. 

Kahekili  had  not  yet  embarked  for  Oahu,  and  with  his 
large  army  was  well  prepared  to  meet  an  invasion,  A 
strong  body  of  his  men  were  sent  to  resist  the  Ha- 
waiians.  A  sanguinary  battle  ensued.  The  Hawaiians 
were  routed  and  driven  to  their  canoes,  which  lay  con- 
veniently under  the  point,  and  returned  to  the  Hana  dis- 
trict with  their  captured  stores.  This  repulse  was  an 
ominous  proof  of  Kahekili's  mettle  ;  and  it  led  Kalani- 


Preparing  for  War.  243 

opuu  to  make  more  vigorous  preparations,  that  his  in- 
vasion should  prove  irresistible. 

A  whole  year  was  thus  given  to  drilling  an  army.  Six 
great  corps  d'armee  were  organized,  to  which  were  given 
the  names  of  the  six  great  Alii  aimoku  (district  chiefs). 
Each  brigade  was  under  its  own  great  leader.  Kame- 
hameha  was  commissioned  to  form  a  "  Life  Guard." 
The  members  of  the  royal  family  were  joined  with  the 
princes  and  peers  of  Waimanu,  forming  a  body  of  young 
chiefs  of  the  most  exalted  rank.  But  the  greatest  hopes 
were  centred  upon  two  regiments  called  the  "Alapa " 
and  the  " Piipii"  composed  of  gigantic  chiefs  belonging 
to  the  court  circle, — nobles  who  were  privileged  to  eat 
at  the  same  board  with  the  king. 

These  two  regiments  were  such  a  band  of  warriors  as 
Hawaii  had  never  before  seen.  Veteran  chiefs  of  un- 
usual stature,  with  spears  of  equal  length,  their  red 
feather  war-capes  glistened,  and  the  gay  plumes  of  their 
helmets  tossed  proudly  in  the  wind  and  the  sun.  It  was 
a  gorgeous  sight.  It  moved  the  hearts  of  even  the 
timid  to  enlist  in  the  ranks. 

While  the  material  resources  of  war  were  in  prepara- 
tion, Kalaniopuu  was  not  forgetful  of  his  duties  to  the 
gods.  Holoae,  the  venerable  high-priest,  was  zealous 
with  prayer  and  prophecy,  and  mystic  rites  were  held  in 
all  the  great  heiatis  of  the  land. 

Kaili,  the  war-god  of  the  ancient  kings,  was  displayed 
in  all  the  camps  hy  Hewahewa.  The  war-god  Kaili  was 
the  special  god  of  Liloa,  Keawe,  Alapai-nui,  and  other 
ancient  kings,  and  it  was  averred  that  his  crimson  feath- 
ers were  always  erect  and  ruffled  on  the  approach  of 
war.  Dreadful  were  the  sacrifices  made  by  Hewahewa, 
in  the  name  of  Kaili,  at  the  heidus  on  this  occasion. 


244  Kam/hdm&a  the  Great. 

In  the  meantime  Kahekili,  whose  spies  were  every- 
where alert,  was  daily  informed  of  these  efforts  to  enlist 
the  spiritual  powers  against  him.  Having  been  an  irre- 
ligious man,  he  had  no  priest  adequate  to  cope  with 
Holoae.  But  now  his  superstitions  were  aroused,  and  he 
sent  a  courtly  but  urgent  message  to  Oahu,  requesting 
the  king,  who  had  married  his  half-sister,  to  send  Kaleo- 
puu  to  officiate  in  his  behalf. 

The  young  king,  Kahahana,  was  easily  deceived. 
Having  been  brought  up  in  high  favor  at  the  Maui 
court,  he  thought  to  win  favor  with  the  treacherous 
monarch  of  Maui,  not  only  by  sending  Kaleopuu,  but  by 
going  himself  with  a  strong  body  of  soldiers  to  help 
Kahekili  against  the  Hawaiians.  This  act  only  briefly 
delayed  the  monstrous  intrigues  of  Kahekili  to  sever 
church  and  state  at  Oahu,  when,  later,  he  pounced  upon 
his  young  ally,  seized  his  kingdom,  hunted  him  and  his 
charming  queen  for  two  years  in  the  mountain  wilds,  and 
at  last  betrayed  and  murdered  the  noble  young  Mot* 
Though  the  day  of  retribution  was  cruelly  delayed,  it 
came  at  last,  like  an  Alpine  avalanche  hurled  down  by 
the  gods. 

Inspired  with  the  wisdom  of  an  arch-fiend,  the  scof- 
fing Kahekili  sought  to  counteract  the  spiritual  forces  of 
his  enemy  by  sacerdotal  aid.  Following  Kaleopuu's  in- 
structions closely,  with  a  view  to  restore  confidence  to 
his  army,  and  modify  his  own  superstitions — for  the 
most  ungodly  are  alert  for  spiritual  aid  in  times  of  dan- 
ger,— Kahekili  sacrificed  scores  of  victims,  and  repaired 

*  See  the  touching  funeral  chant  composed  by  Kahahana's  young 
queen,  when  her  murdered  king  was  taken  from  Ewa,  to  be  sacrificed 
at  the  Waikiki  temple. — Fornander's  "  Polynesian  Races,  '  vol.  II., 
p.  225. 


The  Ar cli-Fiend.  245 

and  consecrated  his  dilapidated  heidu  of  Kaluli,  just 
north  of  Wailuku.  When  all  was  completed,  the  priest, 
king,  and  a  great  procession  of  chiefs  took  canoe  for 
Hana,  the  nearest  land  to  Hawaii.  There  Kaleopuu 
solemnly  pronounced  his  celebrated  wanana  o  make — 
(predictions  of  death).  Standing  on  the  beetling  black 
rocks  of  Hana  Bay,  his  thin  hands  stretched  out  towards 
Hawaii,  his  long  white  hair  streaming  in  the  wind,  the 
Kahtina,  pointing  ominously  in  the  direction  in  which  he 
sent  his  dreadful  malediction,  ended  his  awful  message 
from  the  gods  with  these  memorable  words  : 

"  Ua  koma  ka  ia  i  ka  makaha  !  na  puni  i  ka  ma  " — 
like  fish  in  the  net  shall  they  be  caught,  captured,  and 
slaughtered  ! 

Never  were  more  truthful  words  spoken  by  man. 

It  was  late  in  the  year  1776  that  Kalaniopuu  embarked 
his  magnificent  army  on  the  pilgrimage  of  death.  While 
a  part  of  the  forces  were  landed  without  resistance  in  the 
Honuaula  district,  where  the  usual  plundering  took 
place,  Kalaniopuu  led  the  main  army  around  by  canoes, 
into  Maalaea  Bay,  landing  near  the  salt  marsh  of  Kealia. 
Not  a  vestige  of  the  Maui  army  was  stationed  there  to 
resist  the  landing,  which  impressed  the  Hawaiians  with 
the  false  hope  of  an  easy  conquest.  "  On  to  Wailuku  !  " 
became  the  thoughtless  war-cry  of  the  army. 

Little  did  Kalaniopuu  realize  the  cunning  of  the  wily 
warrior  he  came  to  dethrone.  As  it  was  yet  early  in  the 
day,  it  was  thought  best  to  send  the  Alapa  regiment 
across  the  sand  isthmus  to  attack  Kahekili  at  Wailuku, 
— a  hazardous  expedition  for  even  these  eight  hundred 
veterans,  for  they  were  sent  wholly  unsupported  to  the 
windward  shore,  twelve  miles  away. 

When  drawn  up  in  battle  array  before  the  king,  the 


246  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

Alapa  were  justly  proud  of  their  noble  orgrnization, 
their  perfect  discipline,  and  the  tried  courage  of  every 
individual  warrior.  Doubt  of  success  was  the  farthest 
removed  from  their  thoughts,  as  one  and  all  declared 
they  would  drink  the  waters  of  the  Wailuku  River  that 
day.  Little  did  the  gallant  cohort  of  chieftains  antici- 
the  fate  that  awaited  them. 

Without  offering  the  least  resistance  to  their  crossing 
over  the  desolate  isthmus  of  Kamaomao,  whose  wind- 
blown sand-desert  made  a  weary  march  for  the  Ha- 
waiians,  the  artful  Kahekili  judiciously  disposed  his 
forces  behind  the  sand-hills,  ranged  from  Kalua  to  Wai- 
luku, and  there  lay  in  ambush. 

On  came  the  corps  d*  armee  with  tossing  plumes  and 
glitering  spears — a  magnificent  display.  It  wrung  a  cry 
of  admiration  from  Kahekili  and  his  chiefs,  as  they 
looked  down  from  the  tallest  hill  and  made  the  signal 
for  the  hidden  legions  to  attack. 

Wild  was  the  work  of  the  next  hour's  slaughter,  as 
one  body  after  another  of  the  ambushed  enemy  sprang 
out  like  famished  wolves  upon  the  phalanx  of  Hawaiians, 
and  went  down  like  forest-trees  before  a  whirlwind.  But 
as  fast  as  one  company  went  down  another  from  the  ad- 
jacent hillocks  leaped  into  combat  with  fresh  strength, 
until  one  by  one  the  proud  Alapa,  too  fearless  to  retreat, 
fell  on  the  most  sanguinary  field  that  ever  was  fought  in 
Hawaii. 

Great  was  the  joy  of  the  stern  Kahekili  as  he  looked 
down  on  the  slaughter  from  his  sand-hill.  Only  one 
chief  was  made  prisoner,  the  noble  Keawehano  of  Hilo. 
He  was  brought  to  Kahekili  to  be  sacrificed  in  the  heidu 
to  glorify  the  victory  ;  but  he  died  of  his  wounds  before 
he  could  be  despatched  at  the  altar.  Two  swift  runners 


The  Slaughtered  A  rmy.  247 

out  of  the  brave  eight  hundred  were  all  that  escaped  to 
carry  the  dreadful  tale  of  disaster  to  Kalaniopuu.  One 
herald  only,  bringing  such  improbable  news,  would 
have  been  received  with  discredit,  and  slaughtered  for 
his  slanderous  story.  Two  messengers  made  it  so  proba- 
ble that  king  and  court  stood  aghast  with  dismay,  justly 
deeming  that  only  the  mandate  of  the  angry  gods  could 
have  wrought  such  destruction  upon  the  noble  eight 
hundred. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  of  the  day  of  battle,  when 
the  unexpected  news  of  defeat  was  brought  to  Kalanio- 
puu, encamped  with  the  royal  family  amid  the  main  body 
of  the  army.  Consternation  filled  the  minds  of  all  at  the 
unaccountable  destruction  of  the  gallant  Alapa.  A  wild 
wail  rent  the  air  as  the  whole  army  broke  forth  into  a 
piercing  utterance  of  sorrow. 

A  council  of  war  was  held,  lasting  far  into  the  night. 
There  were  present  Keawe  of  Hilo,  half-brother  of  the 
king  ;  Kalanimanoo  of  Kohala,  Keawe-a-Heulu  of  Puna, 
Nuuanu  of  Kau,  Kanekoa  of  Waimea,  Nauueka  of 
Hamakua,  with  Kameeimoku  and  Kamanawa,  twin-born 
children  of  Kekaulike,  and  half-brothers  of  Kahekili  *  ; 
the  generalissimo  Kekuhaupio,  son-in-law  of  the  high- 
priest  Holoae  ;  and  the  princes  Kiwalao,  Keoua,  and 
Kamehameha. 

The  council  resolved  to  march  at  dawn  with  the  entire 
army  on  Wailuku,  and  endeavor  to  retrieve  the  ill-fortune 
of  the  previous  day. 

Kahekili  had  been  active  throughout  the  night,  station- 
ing his  detached  army  among  the  sand-dunes  ;  the  Oahu 
troops  under  King  Kahahana  being  held  in  reserve.  The 

*  There  is  more  than  one  legend  that  holds  to  this  version  of  their 
birth. — "  Polynesian  Races,"  p.  154. 


248  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

ambushed  men  lay  in  a  curved  line  that  stretched  from 
the  Waikapu  stream  to  Wailuku,  sternly  awaiting  the 
appearance  of  the  Hawaiians  upon  the  Waikapu  common. 

They  came  at  length,  and  the  great  armies  closed  in  a 
terrific  death  grapple.  The  battle  was  long  and  severe, 
ending  in  fearful  slaughter  on  both  sides.  The  final 
victory  remained  with  Kahekili  ;  but  it  was  so  dearly 
bought  that  not  a  man  was  suffered  to  go  in  pursuit  of 
the  retreating  remnant  of  Kalaniopuu's  heroes. 

Again  the  war-worn  chiefs  of  Kalaniopuu  met  in  mid- 
night conncil.  Grim,  stern  men,  their  wounds  dripping 
from  the  recent  spear-thrusts  of  the  victorious  foe,  their 
eyes  gleamed  with  murderous  passions  at  the  thought  of 
their  friends  thus  squandered  in  slaughter.  But  the 
superstitions  of  a  maddened  savage  are  stronger  than  his 
hatred  of  an  enemy.  The  wisdom  of  bowing  to  the  in- 
evitable was  at  length  perceived  ;  for  this  ill-fortune  was 
pronounced  to  be  the  decree  of  the  gods. 

Kalola,  the  queen,  was  in  council,  as  was  her  right,  and 
was  now  requested  by  Kalaniopuu  to  go  to  her  brother, 
Kahekili,  as  an  ambassadress  to  solicit  peace  and  promise 
of  personal  safety  from  the  King  of  Maui.  But  she  dis- 
trusted the  fitful  and  treacherous  temper  of  her  brother, 
and  refused  to  go,  especially  as  this  had  been  a  war  of 
devastation  and  conquest,  not  an  invasion  formally  an- 
nounced and  conducted  with  princely  courtesy.  The 
queen  advised  sending  her  son,  Kiwalao,  the  favored 
nephew  of  Kahekili. 

The  advice  was  accepted.  Decked  out  with  his  royal 
ahuula  and  all  the  insignia  which  betokened  his  rank, 
and  accompanied  by  two  chiefs,  Kiwalao  marched  to 
Wailuku  to  obtain  the  best  terms  he  could  for  his  van- 
quished countrymen.  He  passed  safely  through  the 


Suing  for  Peace.  249 

decimated  ranks  of  the  Maiii  soldiers,  who  prostrated 
themselves  at  the  approach  of  so  high  a  chief. 

After  concentrating  his  broken  forces  for  the  night, 
Kahekili  had  retired  to  Kalani-hale,  his  palace  at  Wai- 
luku,  seeking  the  needed  repose  after  two  days  of  desper- 
ate fighting.  When  told  that  the  Hawaiian  heralds  were 
announcing  the  approach  of  Prince  Kiwalao,  the  haughty 
king  turned  good-humoredly  over  on  his  pallet  of  mats, 
with  his  face  upward,  a  signal  of  Iluna  ke  alo !  ("let  him 
live"),*  showing  a  kindly  intention  not  looked  for  by  his 
own  chiefs. 

On  entering  the  palace,  Kiwalao  went  directly  to  the 
couch  where  Kahekili  was  reclining,  sat  down  on  the  lap 
of  his  uncle,  and  embraced  him  affectionately,  wailing 
aloud  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country.  When  the 
wailing  had  subsided,  Kameeimoku  and  Kamanawa 
performed  the  "  kokolo"  by  crawling  obsequiously  in  to  the 
king,  and  kissing  his  hands,  according  to  the  etiquette  of 
the  times.  Kiwalao  being  of  too  high  birth  to  open  the 
negotiations,  Kahekili  commenced  the  conversation,  and 
briefly  defined  the  conditions  of  peace. 

Hostilities  were  concluded  ;  the  two  kings  met,  and 
after  a  brief  interview  Kalaniopuu  returned  to  Hawaii. 

Of  the  many  heroic  acts  of  this  disastrous  war,  one 
notable  event  was  long  after  sung  by  the  bard,  Keau- 
lumoku.  Among  the  valiant  warriors  of  Hawaii,  the 
legends  makes  honorable  mention  of  Kekuhaupio,  son- 
in-law  of  the  priest  Holoae,  whose  fame  as  a  soldier 
and  great  leader  of  men  stood  second  to  none  of  his 
time.f  During  one  of  the  last  deadly  encounters  this 

*  Had  he  turned  his  face  to  the  wall,  it  would  have  been  Halo  ke 
alo  !  ("let  him  die  "). 

f  The  chief  upon  whom  Cook's  men  fired,  for  running  the  blockade, 
and  who  was  shot  by  Cook  at  the  time  of  his  death. 


250  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

great  chief  became  hopelessly  involved  among  the  enemy, 
and  all  looked  upon  him  as  lost  ;  for  the  retreat  of  the 
army  could  not  be  arrested  to  save  an  individual.  But 
this  brilliant  soldier  had  been  the  teacher  of  Kame- 
hame'ha,  imparting  to  him  the  most  cunning  arts  of  fence 
and  strategy.  For  this  kindness  Kamehameha  held  the 
gallant  old  chief  in  high  esteem.  Seeing  his  danger,  the 
brave  young  Alii  shouted  lustily  for  the  royal  chiefs  of 
his  life-guard  to  follow,  and  sprang  to  the  rescue. 

Beating  down  all  opposition  with  his  laau  palau,  and 
making  a  swath  of  dead  foes  to  guide  his  followers, 
Kamehameha  stood  beside  the  mighty  warrior  in  his 
direst  need,  and  together  they  cut  their  way  back  and 
forth  through  the  Maui  men  until  they  fled  as  from 
demons  of  destruction.  Thus  Kamehameha  cemented 
another  friendship,  which  was  repaid  with  the  fealty  of  a 
lifetime. 

This  overwhelming  defeat  rankled  deeply  in  the  mind 
of  Kalaniopuu.  To  lessen  his  humiliation,  the  aged 
king,  in  the  year  1778,  gathered  a  large  force  of  canoes 
for  a  marauding  expedition,  a  common  method  of  super- 
annuated kings.  Such  plunderings  of  towns  and  pilla- 
ging of  districts  did  not  aspire  to  the  dignity  of  war. 


XXX. 

THE  COMING  AND  DEATH  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK. 

DAYS  of  equal  excitement  were  close  at  hand. 
Shortly  after  the  events  described,  two  mokus, 
or  "  islands  afloat,"  as  the  natives  termed  ships,  had  ap- 
peared off  Kauai,  bringing  the  long-expected  Lono. 
The  people  on  the  ships  were  said  to  be  volcanic  gods, 
for  fire  came  from  their  mouths.  The  men  were  white. 
Their  skin  hung  loose  about  them,  and  there  were  holes 
in  their  sides  where  they  kept  their  property,  as  they 
were  seen  to  take  out  knives,  beads,  and  pieces  of  iron 
from  their  pockets. 

They  were  the  two  ships  of  Captain  Cook.  Mohu,  a 
Waipio  native,  brought  from  Oahu  a  piece  of  sail-cloth 
made  of  hemp,  a  present  from  Kahana,  the  new  king  of 
Oahu,*  to  Kalaniopuu.  The  queen  of  Oahu  had  worn 
a  piece  of  this  marvellous  fabric  on  public  occasions, 
and  had  attracted  much  attention. 

The  ships  were  described  as  having  port-holes  in  their 
sides  from  which  volcanoes  discharged  fire  and  smoke, 
with  noises  like  thunder.  The  ships  had  abundance  of 
iron,  the  most  prized  of  all  things  known  to  the  natives. 
When  Kapupuu,  a  petty  chief,  was  sent  off  to  steal  a 

*  The  last  king  had  just  been  dethroned  by  the  Ahu  Alii — council 
of  chiefs — and  Kahahana  chosen  through  Kahekili's  intrigues. — 
"  Polynesian  Races,"  vol.  II.,  p.  154, 

251 


252  Kamehame'ha  the  Great. 

piece  of  the  iron,  then  fire,  smoke,  and  a  great  noise 
were  hurled  at  him,  and  he  was  killed  on  the  instant. 

The  chiefs  of  Kauai  were  angry  that  their  professional 
robber  was  killed,  for  stealing  was  Kapuptm's  trade,  and 
they  concluded  to  take  their  canoes  and  capture  the  ships. 
But  the  queen  said  they  were  gods,  that  Lona  was  the 
chief  god,  and  they  must  be  won  by  friendship.  She 
would  send  off  canoes  loaded  with  pretty  wahines  to 
choose  husbands  among  them,  it  being  the  custom  for 
girls  to  make  the  advances  in  courtship.  The  queen 
sent  her  own  beautiful  daughter,  Lelema,  who  won  the 
god  Lono  (Cook)  for  her  husband,  and  scores  of  other 
maidens  also  won  temporary  husbands,  who  gave  the  wa- 
hines iron  to  take  ashore  to  the  chiefs.  At  the  end  of  one 
moon  the  ships  sailed  away  with  all  the  new-made  hus- 
bands, and  great  was  the  sorrow  that  prevailed  among 
the  new-made  wives.  Lono  had  promised  to  return 
after  many  moons. 

The  day  after  Mohu's  arrival  the  whole  Hawaiian  fleet 
sailed  for  Maui,  and  took  possession  of  the  island,  from 
Hana  on  the  east,  round  to  Wailuku  on  the  north  shore. 
A  fort  had  been  constructed  years  before  on  the  great 
hill  at  Kauwiki,  and  now  a  fortified  camp  was  made  at 
Hamakualoa. 

Kahekili  hastened  to  gather  an  army  at  Maalae  Bay, 
and  on  the  night  of  Nov.  25th  he  marched  across  the 
island  to  Wailuku.  On  the  following  morning  an 
engagement  took  place  with  the  Hawaiians,  on  which 
occasion  the  young  Kamehameha  led  his  well-trained 
Waimanu  chiefs  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  The  battle 
was  favorable  to  the  Hawaiians.  Kahekili  and  his  army 
retreated  to  Lahaina,  and  resisted  the  invaders  no  more. 

Leaving   the   army   in   camp   at    Hamakualoa,    King 


Captain  Cook's  Ships.  253 

Kalanioptm  and  his  great  chiefs  retired  more  to  the  east, 
and  dwelt  at  Wailuaiki,  in  the  fruitful  district  of  Koolau. 
Early  in  the  morning  of  the  2yth  Cook's  "floating 
islands  "  appeared  near  the  land.  They  came  close  in 
shore  to  traffic  with  the  natives  for  food  and  fruit. 

Great  was  the  amazement  of  all  to  behold  them.  The 
Kanakas  exclaimed  :  "  Moku  !  moku  !  (islands).  What 
are  they  with  so  many  branches  ?  It  is  a  floating  forest 
on  the  ocean.  It  is  Lono  and  his  heidu  come  from  an- 
other world." 

Kalaniopuu  sent  off  a  canoe-load  of  hogs  as  a  royal 
present  to  the  god.  After  watching  the  doings  of  the 
foreigner  for  three  days  the  king,  and  several  of  his  great 
chiefs  went  off  in  state  to  pay  their  respects  to  Lono. 
Kamehameha  remained  on  board  all  night  with  a  few  of 
his  followers,  questioning  about  every  thing  he  saw,  ex- 
amining the  mechanism  of  the  ship,  and  eager  to  under- 
stand and  to  possess  the  white  man's  weapons  of  war. 
He  saw  at  once  that  with  the  weapons  of  the  foreigner 
his  enemies  might  easily  be  killed  and  all  the  Leeward 
Islands  conquered  for  Kalaniopuu. 

As  Cook's  ships  stood  off  from  the  shore  during  the 
night,  the  king  was  in  consternation  about  Kamehameha, 
and  many  wailed  his  loss  during  the  whole  night  long. 
As  the  ships  had  gone  suddenly  away  from  Kauai,  in  the 
spring,  there  was  the  more  reason  to  think  that  they  had 
left  Maui  for  good.  But  during  the  following  day  the 
vessels  worked  back  again  and  landed  Kamehameha. 
Cook  had  not  known  the  rank  of  his  visitor. 

Standing  across  Upolu  Sea  the  ships  coasted  to  the 
east  and  south  of  Hawaii,  trading  here  and  there  with 
the  natives,  who  occasionally  gained  courage  to  approach 
the  vessel,  and  anchored  in  Ke-ala-ke-akua  Bay  on  Jan- 


254  Kamehame'ha  the  Great. 

uary  17,  1779.  It  was  the  place  where  the  last  Spanish 
galleon  was  wrecked  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  before. 
The  galleon  went  to  pieces  on  Keei  Point,  just  south  of 
the  bay.  Most  of  the  crew  were  saved.*  The  captain, 
"  Kukunaloa,"  and  a  beautiful  girl,  said  to  be  his  sister, 
were  snatched  from  the  breakers  and  landed  on  the 
beach,  where  they  both  knelt  down  in  fervent  prayer  to 
some  God  in  the  sky,  whom  the  natives  could  not  see. 
The  place  where  the  white  girl  knelt  to  another  God 
than  Pele  is  still  known  as  Kulou,  the  "  Place  of  bowing 
down  of  the  wahine  haole"  These  people  were  kindly 
treated  by  the  natives,  and  some  famous  chiefs  were  de- 
scended from  the  white  girl  ;  among  whom  was  Kaiki- 
oewa,  the  recent  governor  of  Kauai. 

A  strict  tabu  was  in  force  when  Cook  anchored.  No 
canoes  had  been  allowed  afloat  under  penalty  of  death. 
But  when  the  ships  were  seen  approaching  the  restric- 
tions were  removed  by  the  priests  in  reverence  for  the 
god  Lono  and  his  floating  temples. 

An  aged  hunchbacked  priest  named  Kanina,  once  a 
famous  warrior,  was  the  foremost  kahiina  of  the  temple 
of  Lono.  When  Captain  Cook  landed  Kanina  saluted 
the  venerated  god  with  great  humility.  After  falling 
upon  his  knees  before  him,  the  priest  sprang  up  and 
spread  the  red  tapa  cloth  of  a  kahilna  upon  Lono's 
shoulders,  presented  a  sacred  pig  as  a  sacrificial  gift  of 
welcome  to  the  god,  and  made  a  speech  of  congratula- 
tion, promising  further  oblations  at  the  heidu.  Immedi- 
ately heralds  were  sent  out  to  announce  the  coming  of 
Lono,  and  bidding  the  multitude  to  gather  along  the  way 
to  the  temple  and  fall  on  their  knees  in  worship.  So  ap- 
palled were  the  people  that  they  dared  not  look  upon  the 

*  This  Spanish  wreck  took  place  just  after  a  storm  in  1527. 


Deifying  Captain  Cook.  255 

face  of  the  dread  god  as  he  passed,  but  peered  at  him 
from  their  houses,  and  gazed  with  trembling  and  fear 
from  behind  stone  walls,  or  climbed  into  trees  and  looked 
upon  him  from  afar. 

When  Lono  approached  near  to  the  multitude  the 
people  covered  their  faces  in  wonder  and  awe.  Those 
very  near  the  roadside,  who  could  not  retreat,  fell  pros- 
trate with  their  faces  to  the  earth.  After  the  dread  deity 
had  passed,  ten  thousand  half-naked  men,  women,  and 
children, — creeping  on  all-fours,  like  so  many  quadru- 
peds,— followed  the  white-man-god  to  the  temple  of 
Lono.  Kanina  led  the  way,  chanting  and  praying. 
Cook  was  formally  presented  to  the  idols,  and  placed  in 
the  sacred  seat  before  the  principal  god,  near  the  great 
altar,  where  a  putrefied  hog  was  deposited,  a  sacrifice 
made  during  the  recent  tabu. 

Ten  men  now  brought  in  a  large  fresh  hog  ;  others 
brought  bundles  of  red  tapa,  with  which  Cook  was 
adorned  while  being  deified.  The  sacred  hog  was  then 
offered  in  sacrifice,  while  many  priests  chanted  loud 
praises  of  the  new-found  Lono.  Next  in  the  ceremony, 
Cook  kissed  the  chief  idol,  after  the  example  of  all  the 
priests  present.  The  rites  of  Cook's  deification  were 
concluded  by  his  drinking  awa,  prepared  in  the  mouths 
of  the  priestly  attendants,  and  allowing  himself  to  be  fed 
with  swine-meat,  previously  masticated  for  him  by  a  ven- 
erable priest.  History  records  that  Cook  performed  his 
part  in  all  these  rites  without  a  word  of  dissent  or  show 
of  repugnance. 

No  navigator  ever  discovered  an  unknown  land  under 
more  favorable  conditions  to  enlighten  a  savage  people 
and  to  win  them  from  their  heathenism.  For  many 
years  the  priests  had  taught  the  people  to  expect  the 


256  Kamtkamdka  the  Great. 

return  of  Lono,  an  absent  king  whom  they  had  long  since 
invested  with  the  attributes  of  deity.  And  when  Cook 
arrived  there  was  not  a  doubt  in  the  minds  of  chiefs, 
priests,  and  people,  but  that  he  was  the  long-venerated 
Lono.  When  he  joined  in  their  worship,  and  appro- 
priated their  costly  peace-offerings,  consisting  of  ship- 
loads of  provisions  and  ornamental  presents  of  great 
value,  their  belief  in  his  divinity  was  confirmed  beyond 
a  doubt. 

In  what  esteem  ought  posterity  to  hold  thi-s  Christian 
Englishman  ?  He  not  only  lent  himself  to  perpetuate 
the  superstitions  of  a  heathen  people,  but  he  accepted 
the  gift  of  the  fairest  human  creature  in  the  land,  of 
beautiful  girls,  proffered  in  conformity  with  the  natives' 
best  conception  of  deity. 

Alas  !  it  was  but  a  selfish  expedient  which  served  his 
end  for  a  while.  When  his  ships  were  loaded  with  plun- 
der, and  his  pleasure  was  satiated  in  the  immolation  of 
young  girls,  then  the  true  temperament  of  the  passionate 
man-god  was  disclosed.  Tired  of  the  delusions  that  he 
had  assumed,  and  sated  with  his  unmanly  heathenism, 
the  divine  Lono  began  to  practise  arrogance  and  tyranny 
toward  his  too-loving  worshippers.  Cook  finally  suf- 
fered himself  to  tear  down  the  sacred  idols  which  he  had 
worshipped,  and  plundered  the  temple  of  its  costly  en- 
closure for  firewood.  This  godless  god  personally  took 
part  in  robbing  the  very  shrine  at  which  he  had  been 
deified,  and  confiscated  a  nation's  costly  idols.  The  de- 
basing farce  ended  with  a  heartless  tragedy,  in  which  the 
most  friendly  chiefs  and  priests  were  slain. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1779,  Kalaniopuu  arrived  from 
Maui,  and  at  once  ordered  the  priests  to  lay  the  whole 
land  again  under  a  strict  tabu,  in  gratitude  for  his  victory 


The  King's  Visit.  257 

over  Kahekili,  and  in  honor  of  the  coming  of  Lono. 
This  tabti  so  angered  Cook  and  his  people  that  the  offi- 
cers menaced  the  chiefs,  by  firing  a  musket  over  their 
heads  when  they  sought  to  enforce  obedience  to  the 
edicts  of  the  king. 

On  the  26th,  the  king  and  chiefs  visited  Cook  in  state. 
They  went  in  three  large  double  canoes.  In  the  first 
was  Kalaniopuu  and  some  of  his  gigantic  nobles,  all  at- 
tired in  costly  mantles  and  glittering  helmets,  armed 
with  shark's-teeth  daggers  at  their  side,  and  shining 
spears  held  in  martial  array.  The  second  canoe  was 
filled  with  priests,  over  whom  presided  Holoae,  the  high- 
priest.  Each  priest,  clad  in  a  small  crimson  mamo  and 
a  red  kiheit  held  his  special  idol  before  him,  to  which  he 
chanted  the  prayer  of  his  god,  sung  in  honor  of  Lono. 
The  king  and  the  royal  chiefs  were  adorned  with  price- 
less yellow  mamas,  and  the  lesser  chiefs  wore  red  capes 
trimmed  with  black.  The  third  canoe  was  filled  with 
presents,  among  which  were  many  fat  hogs  and  abundant 
choice  fruit. 

After  paddling  around  the  ships,  keeping  time  to  the 
songs  of  welcome  chanted  by  the  priests,  the  canoes  sud- 
denly dashed  for  the  shore,  where  Cook  and  his  officers 
were  waiting  to  receive  the  king  in  a  tent  pitched  near 
the  observatory.  With  great  show  of  reverence  the  king 
presented  Lono  with  his  own  costly  mantle  of  glistening 
feathers  and  his  war  helmet.  He  placed  the  beautiful 
mamo  on  Cook's  shoulders  and  the  gay  casque  on  his 
head  ;  in  his  hand  he  put  a  curious  fan  in  token  of  peace. 
The  king  also  gave  him  other  cloaks  of  great  value  and 
beauty. 

In  return  for  these  magnificent  gifts  from  the  king, 
upon  whose  bounty  he  was  dependent,  the  magnanimous 


2$8  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

Christian  honored  him  with  one  linen  shirt  and  a  cheap 
cutlass  at  his  side  !  This  creditable  ceremony  was 
closed  by  an  exchange  of  names,  the  greatest  pledge  of 
friendship  among  the  Hawaiians. 

During  this  visit  the  most  profound  silence  reigned 
throughout  the  bay.  Not  a  canoe  was  permitted  afloat, 
or  a  person  seen  ashore,  except  a  few  chiefs  lying  pros- 
trate on  the  beach.  After  the  priests  had  been  presented, 
and  their  religious  rites  ended,  at  Cook's  earnest  request 
the  tabti  was  removed,  except  the  restriction  which  for- 
bade women  to  visit  the  ships.  Kamehameha  was  a  fre- 
quent visitor  to  the  vessels,  and  availed  himself  of  every 
opportunity  to  barter  for  weapons  for  himself  and  his  fol- 
lowers. He  purchased  of  Captain  Clerke  eight  long  iron 
daggers  for  a  splendid  feather  cloak,  which  was  worth 
the  whole  armament  of  the  two  ships.  Captain  King 
says  that  the  young  Alii,  then  just  from  the  battle-field 
of  Maui,  had  the  most  savage  expression  he  ever  saw. 

Whenever  Cook  landed  a  priest  awaited  his  coming  ; 
going  before  him  to  the  heidu,  singing  chants  of  praise  or 
making  eloquent  addresses  to  the  people  in  his  honor, 
and  calling  aloud  to  them  to  bring  offerings  to  the  shrine 
of  Lono,  where  the  whole  priesthood  was  assembled  to 
bless  and  consecrate  the  gifts.  At  one  time  three  thou- 
sand canoes  and  fifteen  thousand  natives  were  collected 
in  the  harbor,  all  bringing  presents  for  the  revered  Lono. 

For  a  week  after  the  king's  visit  to  the  ships  the  most 
boundless  hospitality  was  continued  to  Lono  and  his 
satellites.  Their  ships  were  loaded  with  every  thing  for 
which  they  expressed  a  wish  ;  entertainments  were  gotten 
up  to  amuse  the  guests,  and  expeditions  into  the  moun- 
tains were  planned  for  them.  Notwithstanding  this  con- 
tinued bounty  of  the  king  for  their  maintenance  and 


Desecrating  the  Temple.  259 

amusement,  several  natives  were  shot  at  for  pilfering 
trifling  articles,  and  one  was  strung  up  and  flogged  on 
board  the  "  Discovery." 

The  fourth  of  February  was  the  day  appointed  for  the 
ships  to  go.  Two  days  previous  to  sailing,  Lono  dis- 
carded his  divine  attributes.  Having  accomplished  his 
ends,  the  false  Lono  began  to  show  the  hard  and  unfeel- 
ing character  of  the  man. 

Perhaps  the  most  unscrupulous  act  of  this  Christian 
gentleman  was  his  demand  for  the  ornamented  fence 
around  the  temple  of  Lono.  For  this  he  offered  two 
iron  hatchets  in  payment. 

With  sad  countenance  the  priest  submitted  to  this 
cruel  desecration  of  their  holy  temple  ;  but  he  sternly 
refused  any  thing  in  the  way  of  remuneration.  What  was 
his  sorrow,  and  the  just  indignation  of  the  people,  when 
subsequently  compelled  to  witness  the  still  greater  sacri- 
lege of  losing  their  loved  idols,  taken  for  fuel  on  ship- 
board ;  and  that  too  with  Cook  standing  by  to  enforce 
the  deed.  But  wishing  to  avoid  the  appearance  of 
taking  these  images  from  the  temple  without  remunera- 
tion, Cook  again  proffered  the  two  iron  hatchets  for  the 
idols.  The  horrified  priest  shrank  appalled  from  the 
tempter,  indignantly  refusing  to  sell  or  barter  the  precious 
gods,  made  holy  by  a  thousand  years'  worship.  But 
Cook  himself  contemptuously  thrust  the  hatchets  into 
the  folds  of  the  priest's  garment,  bidding  the  friendly 
Kanina  take  them  or  nothing.* 

*  Jarves'  "  History,"  page  64.  Cook  gave  orders  to  his  men  to 
break  down  the  fence  and  carry  it  to  the  boats,  while  he  cleared  the 
way.  The  images  were  destroyed  by  the  sailors  in  the  presence  of 
the  priests  and  chiefs.  Cook  once  more  offered  the  hatchets,  but  the 
priest  trembled  with  emotion  and  refused. 


260  Kamehame'ha  the  Great. 

Trembling  with  suppressed  emotion  at  this  renewed 
insult  to  himself,  his  religion,  and  his  ancestors,  whom 
the  revered  idols  represented,  the  priest  stood  with  bowed 
head,  overwhelmed  with  sorrow,  and  would  not  touch 
the  paltry  hatchets,  bestowed  to  cover  the  theft  of  a 
nation's  idols. 

The  ships  finally  sailed,  after  further  abusing  the  na- 
tives ;  as  when  the  boatswain's  men  beat  the  Kanakas 
with  treenails  for  not  complying  with  their  arrogant  de- 
mands while  they  were  performing  the  gratuitous  labor 
of  moving  the  ship's  rudder  to  the  shore.  The  vessels 
lay  becalmed,  while  off  the  port,  until  late  into  the  night. 
Forgetful  of  the  mean  returns  and  the  many  indignities 
that  the  English  had  bestowed  for  his  own  magnificent 
gifts,  the  noble-hearted  king  sent  off  a  canoe-load  of  hogs 
and  vegetables,  as  a  last  act  of  hospitality  to  these  vora- 
cious Christians. 

A  gale  soon  after  blew  up  and  sprung  the  foremast  of 
the  "  Resolution,"  and  to  the  consternation  of  priests  and 
people  both  ships  returned  to  their  old  anchorage  on  the 
nth  of  the  month.  Had  the  vessels  come  back  for 
another  ship-load  of  food  ?  If  so  it  was  feared  that  there 
would  be  a  famine.  The  joy  of  the  inhabitants  at  their 
departure  had  been  of  short  duration.  An  ominous 
silence  prevailed  about  the  bay.  The  innocent  trust  of 
the  natives  in  the  stranger  was  giving  way  to  the  vague 
conviction  that  they  had  been  imposed  upon.  Not  a 
single  canoe  appeared  to  bid  the  English  welcome.  A 
boat  being  sent  ashore,  the  natives  said  that  the  king  was 
away,  and  that  a  strict  tabil  was  in  force.  The  return  of 
the  ships  created  suspicion  of  Lono's  intentions. 

The  ships'  tents  were  again  pitched  in  the  sacred 
heidu,  which  they  had  previously  desecrated.  Their 


Lono  Chasing  a  Thief.  261 

storm-rent  sails  were  permitted  to  be  spread  for  repairs 
in  the  house  of  the  insulted  priest  of  the  temple,  who, 
though  friendly  in  his  manner,  was  reserved  and  unjoyful 
at  the  return  of  the  marauding  Christians.  But  no  new 
cause  for  disturbance  occurred  until  the  i3th,  when 
trouble  arose  about  filling  some  water-casks  at  a  stream. 
To  prevent  the  threatened  quarrel  the  chiefs  dispersed 
the  natives,  who  threw  stones  at  the  whites  in  return  for 
their  abuse.  Hearing  of  this,  Capt.  Cook  gave  orders 
tojire  with  ball  upon  the  natives  if  they  were  insolent. 

This  combative  temper  could  not  long  fail  to  find 
cause  of  quarrel  with  a  savage  people.  Soon  after  this 
a  discharge  of  musketry  was  heard  from  the  "  Dis- 
covery," and  a  boat  was  seen  in  chase  of  a  flying  canoe, 
upon  which  the  marines  were  firing.  A  theft  had  been 
committed,  and  the  dread  Lono  was  seen  running  along 
the  beach,  followed  by  Captain  King  and  a  marine,  in 
somewhat  undignified  haste  for  a  deity,  endeavoring  to 
head  off  the  canoe,  and  to  catch  the  thief.  In  their  zeal 
for  justice  the  thief  was  followed  for  some  miles  into  the 
country. 

While  the  white  gods,  with  something  very  like  human 
avidity,  were  chasing  thieves,  the  equally  zealous  officer 
of  the  boat  gathered  up  the  few  petty  articles  stolen,  and 
in  a  spirit  of  Christian  retaliation  seized  upon  the  de- 
serted canoe  with  intent  to  carry  it  off.  Palea,  a  friendly 
chief,  and  the  real  owner  of  the  canoe,  now  came  to  the 
beach,  and  while  denying  all  knowledge  of  the  theft,  ob- 
jected to  being  robbed  of  his  canoe.  The  officer  refused 
to  give  it  up,  and  a  scuffle  ensued  over  the  canoe,  in 
which  Palea  was  knocked  down  by  a  sailor  with  a  paddle, 
and  left  stunned  and  bleeding. 

With  showers  of   stones   the   natives   compelled  the 


262  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

whites  to  give  way,  and  swim  to  some  rocks  out  of  reach 
of  the  missiles.  Following  the  Christian  example  of  the 
whites,  the  natives  now  seized  the  ship's  boat  and  plun- 
dered it,  and  would  have  destroyed  it  had  not  the  friendly 
Palea  rallied  from  the  blow,  and  used  his  authority  to 
disperse  the  assailants.  Expressing  much  concern  at  the 
affray,  Palea  made  signs  for  the  crew  to  come  in  for  their 
boat,  which  they  did,  every  article  being  restored  that 
could  be  found.  But  though  the  combatants  parted  with 
apparent  friendship,  hatred  and  mutual  suspicion  were 
now  fully  aroused. 

Just  after  midnight,  on  that  eventful  Sunday  morning, 
the  sentinel  fired  at  a  native  seen  skulking  about  the 
temple  of  Lono.  Palea  was  suffering  greatly  from  his 
wound,  which  prompted  him  to  seek  revenge  for  these 
insults.  He  swam  out  through  the  darkness  and  stole 
one  of  the  "  Discovery's  "  boats,  found  moored  at  a  buoy, 
which  was  taken  ashore  and  demolished  before  morning 
for  the  nails  and  iron  which  it  contained. 

Day  dawned,  and  the  theft  was  discovered.  Captain 
Cook,  blinded  by  his  self-confidence  and  arrogant  tem- 
per, determined  to  seize  upon  the  king,  and  to  hold  him 
prisoner  on  board  ship  as  a  hostage  until  the  stolen  boat 
should  be  returned.  It  was  a  beautiful  Sunday  morning 
when  the  ill-fated  Cook  determined  upon  this  perilous 
measure.  He  ordered  out  three  boats  to  blockade  the 
harbor,  and  gave  them  the  heartless  order  to  fire  with 
ball-cartridge  upon  any  canoe  that  might  seek  to  force 
the  blockade  from  without  the  bay,  and  also  to  seize  all 
canoes  trying  to  escape  from  within  the  harbor. 

The  doomed  Cook  then  embarked  with  the  launch  and 
two  smaller  boats,  strongly  manned  with  armed  men,  and 
landed  at  Kaawaloa,  at  about  nine  o'clock  on  Sunday 


Landing  with  Soldiers.  263 

morning.  Taking  the  squad  of  marines  from  his  own  boat, 
under  command  of  the  brave  Lieut.  Phillips,  Cook  marched 
quietly,  without  the  usual  parade  or  music,  by  a  circuitous 
route  to  the  palace,  seeking  to  avoid  arousing  suspicion 
of  his  tyrannical  design. 

To  all  appearance  the  town  was  emptied  of  women  and 
children  ;  but  they  could  be  seen  peering  down  in  mul- 
titudes from  the  high  pdli  above.  This  was  a  signal  of 
danger  undreaded  by  the  English.  Very  few  men  were 
visible  as  the  soldiers  marched  through  the  outskirts  of 
the  town.  But  several  hundred  war  chiefs,  and  unknown 
numbers  of  their  followers,  all  armed,  were  ambushed 
everywhere  about.  The  few  men  who  were  seen  wore 
garments  of  black  kapa,  a  well-known  emblem  of  mourn- 
ing or  mischief. 

The  guard  having  surrounded  the  palace,  Lieutenant 
Phillips  was  ordered  in  to  bring  out  the  king,  who  was 
sitting  among  his  queens.  When  Kalaniopuu  was  told 
that  the  white  god  was  without,  waiting  to  give  audience 
to  his  Majesty,  a  pitiful  expression  of  sorrow  and  alarm 
swept  over  his  aged  face.  He  well  knew  what  must  fol- 
low if  the  arrogant  Lono  persisted  in  his  base  design. 
Taking  the  hand  of  the  gallant  Phillips,  who  was  one  to 
inspire  confidence  with  all,  the  king  arose  and  went  out, 
showing  respect  to  the  stern-faced  Lono,*  and  making  a 
show  of  humiliation  before  the  supposed  deity,  who 
arrogantly  requested  the  king  to  go  on  board  the  "  Res- 
olution." As  he  refused,  for  awhile  the  angry  god  con- 
versed with  the  patient  monarch  about  the  dreadful  crime 
of  stealing  a  small  boat  from  Lono. 

*Jarves'  "  History,"  p.  128.  His  look  inspired  consternation  to 
the  last,  and  not  until  his  back  was  turned  did  he  receive  his  death- 
blow. 


264  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

In  the  brief  time  they  were  talking,  as  if  by  a  touch 
of  magic,  armed  men  seemed  to  spring  up  from  the 
ground  ;  for  in  ten  minutes  the  party  were  surrounded 
by  two  hundred  powerful  chiefs  and  countless  numbers 
of  their  followers.  Brave  as  he  was,  and  godlike  as  he 
sought  to  appear,  Cook  grew  uneasy  and  showed  signs 
of  alarm.  Fear  will  lead  even  a  dog  to  bite,  much  more 
an  abused  people.  He  urged  the  reluctant  king  with  less 
arrogance,  and  at  length  persuaded  the  kind-hearted  old 
monarch  to  go  to  the  shore.  Accompanied  by  Kame*- 
hameha  and  Keoria  *  they  went  directly  to  the  place 
where  the  three  boats  lay.  Several  of  the  queens  also 
went  with  them.  One  of  them,  Kekupuohi,  anxiously 
clung  to  the  king,  pleading  against  his  going,  and  saying 
that  Lono  meant  to  kill  him. 

Reaching  the  little  boat-cove  indented  in  the  lava 
shore,  Keeaumoku  and  Keoiia  here  interposed  against 
the  king's  going  any  farther.  Another  powerful  chief, 
Kalaimano,  stepped  forward  and  seized  hold  of  his  loved 
king,  and  with  a  loud  voice  threatened  Cook,  if  he  did 
not  desist  from  his  purpose. 

At  that  instant,  while  the  enraged  Lono  was  striving 
to  disengage  the  king  from  the  chiefs  strong  grasp,  a 
new  commotion  occurred,  which  hastened  the  final 
tragedy.  A  high  chief  and  renowned  warrior,  named 
Kekuhaupio,  rushed  furiously  upon  Cook,  exclaiming  in 
rage  and  grief  that  Kalimu,  his  brother,  had  just  been 
killed  while  they  were  peaceably  crossing  the  bay.  He 
cried  aloud  that  he  would  have  revenge  for  this  foul 
deed.  The  guard  held  the  indignant  warrior  aloof  at 
the  point  of  his  bayonet  ;  yet  Cook  fired  upon  the  be- 

*  Jarves,  p.  128.  Captain  King  states  that  the  king  and  his  two 
sons  were  invited  on  board.  Kiwalao  and  his  mother,  Queen  Kalola, 
were  then  at  Maui  with  Kahekili. 


Cook's  First  Shot.  265 

reaved  chief  with  blank  cartridge,  thinking  to  intimidate 
him.  Finding  that  the  discharge  from  the  "  red-mouthed 
gun  "  was  harmless,  it  only  served  to  enrage  the  chief 
still  more.  He  again  rushed  forward,  demanding  revenge 
for  his  dead  brother.  Cook  then  shot  him  in  the  groin. 
He  fell,  severely  wounded,  and  was  carried  off  by  other 
chiefs.  He  was  maimed  for  life. 

Seeing  that  the  enraged  chiefs  were  now  fully  aroused 
to  resist  his  designs  upon  the  king,  and  realizing  that 
the  god-farce  of  Lono  was  ended,  Captain  Cook  ordered 
Lieutenant  Phillips  to  withdraw  his  marines  into  the 
boat.  But  the  move  to  retreat  instantly  prompted  the 
indignant  Hawaiians  to  attack.  Among  the  shower 
of  stones  thrown  at  the  retreating  guard  one  stone  hit 
Cook,  who  saw  the  act  and  the  assailant,  and  instantly 
shot  him  dead.  Out  of  the  first  four  shots  fired  that 
morning  three  were  fired  by  the  heartless  Lono  upon  his 
worshippers.  This  imprudence  on  the  part  of  the  com- 
mander now  drew  on  a  general  fire  from  all  the  marines 
in  the  other  boats,  to  which  the  undaunted  Hawaiians 
replied  by  throwing  stones,  killing  four  of  the  guard 
before  they  could  embark. 

Still  holding  fast  with  an  insane  courage  to  the  king, 
Cook  now  savagely  bid  Kalaimano  let  go  his  hold  of 
the  monarch.  Not  being  obeyed,  he  had  the  temerity  to 
strike  the  great  chief  with  the  flat  of  his  sword.  In- 
stantly the  powerful  Kalaimano  seized  the  pigmy  Lono 
in  his  strong  grasp.  He  sought  to  restrain  him,  but  not 
to  kill  him,  knowing  that  a  god  cannot  die.  But  at  that 
moment  another  aged  chief  cried  out  : 

"  This  is  not  Lono.  He  struggles  in  your  grasp.  Let 
me  try  him  with  my  spear,  and  if  he  cries  out  he  is  not 
a  god.'* 

Pricking  the  divine  Lono  in  the  back,  to  the  surprise 


266  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

of  all,  brought  forth  a  human  cry  for  help.  Then  even 
Kalaimano  became  convinced,  and  drove  his  great  iron 
dagger*  clear  through  the  body  of  Cook,  just  beneath 
the  shoulder-blade.  The  other  chief  thrust  in  his  spear. 
The  ill-fated  navigator  fell  dead,  with  his  face  in  the 
water. 

For  a  few  moments  Lieutenant  Phillips,  grieved  at  the 
loss  of  his  commander,  resisted  the  whole  onslaught 
with  his  sword,  filling  the  chiefs  with  wonder  at  his 
courage.  Only  when  the  last  of  the  guards  had  swum 
to  the  boat  Phillips  also  sprang  into  the  sea,  and  made 
his  way,  sword  in  hand,  to  the  boat,  But  seeing  a 
wounded  marine  lying  on  the  bottom,  this  brave  man, 
though  weak  from  his  wounds,  sprang  into  the  water  and 
brought  him  up,  and  the  boat  made  good  its  return  to 
the  ships. 

A  memorial  pillar  has  recently  been  erected  on  that 
shore.  But  it  fails  to  commemorate  the  only  noble  act 
of  that  dreadful  day. 

Seeing  the  state  of  things  on  shore,  springs  were  hastily 
put  upon  the  cable  of  the  "  Resolution,"  and  she  began 
firing  round  shot  among  the  crowd  from  the  starboard 
guns.  Great  consternation  was  created  by  the  noise  of 
the  discharge,  and  the  havoc  made  among  the  crowd. 
Many  were  killed ;  and  Kamehameha  himself  was 
wounded  by  a  splinter  struck  from  a  rock  by  one  of  the 
shots.  Terrified  at  the  effects  of  the  cannonade,  Kala- 
niopuu  ordered  a  retreat  to  the  high  pdli  above,  taking 
along  the  body  of  Cook  and  the  four  dead  marines. 
The  priests  took  charge  of  these,  and  at  once  began  the 
sacrificial  rites  in  the  small  heidu  above  the  town. 

*  It  was  one  of  the  numerous  daggers  that  Cook  had  ordered  made 
on  the  ships  for  barter  with  the  chiefs. 


Dividing  the  Dead  God.  267 

After  these  religious  ceremonies  were  over,  with  weep- 
ing and  wailing  Kanina  and  his  priests  removed  the 
flesh  from  Lono  and  burnt  it.  All  the  large  bones  of 
the  dead  god  were  neatly  cleaned  and  done  up  in  a 
black  kapa,  laid  in  a  wicker  basket  decorated  with  red 
feathers,  to  be  sacredly  preserved,  and  afterwards  carried 
in  religious  procession  from  heidu  to  heidu  over  all  the 
land.  The  principal  reliquary  for  the  bones  was  the 
Hale  o  Keawe  at  Waipio.  Most  of  the  chiefs  secured 
some  of  the  small  bones  as  relics  and  amulets.  Kame- 
hameha  came  into  possession  of  Cook's  hair,  which  he 
kept  with  great  veneration  to  the  end  of  life.  The 
marines  were  also  sacrificed,  and  their  limb  bones  dis- 
tributed among  the  lesser  chiefs,  while  Cook's  heart 
and  liver  were  eaten  by  three  children  who  mistook  them 
for  a  dog's.  And  so  the  dreadful  tragedy  ended.  Six 
of  the  friendly  chiefs  and  a  great  number  of  natives  had 
been  killed.  The  houses  of  the  friendly  priests  had 
been  fired  upon  and  burnt,  with  all  the  gifts  from  the 
ships. 

The  last  act  of  the  cruel  whites  was  perpetrated  days 
after  Cook's  death.  It  was  to  fire  upon  a  flag  of  truce 
borne  by  the  same  self-sacrificing  priests  who  had  conse- 
crated Lono  on  his  arrival,  and  who  remained  his  true 
friends  to  the  last. 

The  ships  sailed  on  the  22d  of  February.  Their  late 
commander,  who  began  by  assuming  the  prerogatives  of 
Lono  and  accepting  the  worship  due  only  to  the  Divine 
Being,  had  ended  by  shooting  down  his  loving  worship- 
pers and  getting  himself  killed  and  sacrificed  on  one  of 
the  very  altars  at  which  he  had  been  consecrated  as  a 
god. 


XXXI. 

QUARREL    OF    THE   PRINCES. 

THE  protracted  wars,  together  with  the  demands  of 
Cook's  ships,  had  so  exhausted  the  provisions  on 
Hawaii  that  the  chiefs  of  Puna  and  Kau  refused  to 
impoverish  their  vassals  any  further  by  sending  supplies 
to  the  court  of  Waipio. 

This  rebellious  spirit  admonished  the  king  that  the 
end  of  his  power  was  approaching.  Messages  of  recall 
were  sent  to  Kiwalao  and  to  the  queen,  his  mother,  who 
had  remained  at  the  Maui  court  after  the  war  was  con- 
cluded. 

A  council  of  the  highest  chiefs  was  convened,  and 
Kiwalao  and  Kamehameha  were  made  Kalaniopuu's 
successors,  with  the  approval  of  the  chiefs.  Kiwalao's 
rank  was  proclaimed  the  highest ;  he  was  the  feudal 
lord.  Among  other  privileges  he  was  to  have  one  of 
those  which  formerly  appertained  to  the  English  sov- 
ereigns— that  of  all  the  bone  and  ivory  that  should  be 
stranded  or  taken  on  the  shores.*  Kamehameha  was 
proclaimed  second  in  rank  and  made  High-Priest,  with 
the  supervision  of  tabtis  and  the  keepership  of  Kaili,  the 
national  war-god.  The  heidu  of  Moaula,  in  Waipio,  was 
fitted  up  and  newly  consecrated  for  the  special  deity. 
Just  how  the  kingdom  was  to  be  divided  was  left  for  the 
king  to  say  at  some  future  time. 

*  This  privilege  was  called  the  Palaoa  pae. 
268 


The  Noble  Rebel.  269 

Having  thus  far  adjusted  his  worldly  and  spiritual 
affairs,  the  king  embarked  with  his  war  chiefs  and  their 
vassals  for  Hilo  to  subdue  the  rebel  chief  of  Puna. 
The  Kau  chief,  Nuuanu,  had  just  been  killed  by  a  shark, 
a  casualty  which  quieted  the  rebellion  in  his  district. 
At  Hilo,  the  heidu  of  Kanowa  was  consecrated  to  Kaili, 
and  there  Kame"hameha  took  up  his  abode.  The  court 
remained  at  Ohela,  in  Waikea. 

War  against  Puna  began.  The  rebel  chief,  Imaka- 
kaloa,  fought  long  and  well.  Though  often  beaten,  he 
eluded  capture,  gathered  his  vassals  and  fought  again. 
This  so  annoyed  the  aged  king  that  he  removed  his 
court  to  Kau,  his  patrimonial  estate  and  his  boyhood's 
home.  While  residing  at  Kamaoa  he  built  the  heidu  of 
Pakini  for  the  war-god.  There  Kamehameha  lived,  and 
every  thing  was  made  ready  for  a  public  sacrifice  of  the 
rebel  chieftain  when  captured. 

Exasperated  at  the  delay,  the  aged  king  sent  the  chief 
Puhili  to  ravage  Puna  with  fire  and  spear,  burning 
every  village  until  the  people  should  surrender  their 
loved  Alii.  None  would  betray  him.  But  after  many 
villages  had  been  totally  destroyed  he  was  discovered, 
captured,  and  brought  before  the  king. 

The  rebel  lord  was  young,  noble,  and  manly.  Though 
brave  as  a  lion  he  was  gentle  as  a  woman.  His  long 
black  hair  reached  to  the  ground  and  gave  him  some- 
thing of  womanly  beauty.  The  eyes  of  the  angry  king 
dwelt  long  and  searchingly  upon  the  still  undaunted 
chief,  awed  by  his  manly  grace  and  noble  bearing.  Al- 
most did  the  white-haired  monarch  let  this  young  rebel 
go  in  peace.  But  a  sudden  revulsion  came  over  the 
king's  face — a  thought  of  Kiwalao's  inability  to  deal 
with  such  a  subject,  so  haughty  and  self-willed,  and  with 


270  Kamdhame'ha  the  Great. 

trembling  lips  and  tearful  eyes  he  turned  his  face  to  the 
wall.  It  was  the  fatal  signal  of  "  Halo  ke  alo  !  " — let  him 
die! 

The  young  noble  was  seized,  hurried  to  Pakini,  and 
slaughtered  upon  the  altar,  where  he  was  prepared  for 
public  immolation  to  the  god  Kaili.  Kiwalao  was  sent 
to  the  heidu  to  represent  the  king.  There  all  the  great 
chiefs  of  the  army  gathered  to  witness  the  heathen  rite 
of  sacrificing  a  rebel. 

It  belonged  to  Kamehameha  to  officiate  as  the  high- 
priest  of  Kaili,  while  Kiwalao  should  personate  the  king 
and  preside  as  the  great  chief  of  the  occasion.  But  with  his 
usual  arrogant  manner,  the  thoughtless  prince  assembled 
the  chiefs  about  the  altar,  and  assumed  the  official  right 
belonging  to  Kamehameha.  He  offered  the  baked  pig, 
the  bananas,  and  the  bread-fruit,  preliminary  offerings  be- 
fore the  human  sacrifice,  for  which  he  then  made  ready. 

Kamehameha  stood  by  with  a  look  of  astonishment  at 
this  public  insult  by  the  audacious  prince.  Surprise 
gave  place  to  anger  when  he  saw  that  Kiwalao  really 
meant  to  make  the  final  oblation,  and  he  could  endure  no 
more.  With  flashing  eyes,  and  face  hideous  with  half- 
suppressed  rage,  Kamehameha  sprang  forward  to  assert 
his  rights.  Seizing  hold  of  the  slain  chief,  he  held  up 
the  body  as  if  it  were  but  a  feather's  weight.  Then,  in  a 
loud  voice,  he  offered  up  the  human  sacrifice  to  the  god 
Kaili,  as  the  only  rightful  priest  of  the  deity.  When  the 
religious  rite  was  concluded,  with  a  brief  address  Kame- 
hameha dismissed  the  assembly.  Kiwalao  slunk  away 
abashed,  not  daring  to  openly  resent  such  wrath  as  he 
had  witnessed  when  backed  by  an  arm  of  such  prowess. 

Kamehameha's  daring  self-assertion  made  a  wild  tur- 
moil in  the  court  circle.  Those  who  favored  Kiwalao— 


Quarrel  of  the  Princes.  271 

a  few  would  not  side  with  an  heir-apparent — loudly 
proclaimed  it  an  act  of  rebellion.  Sides  were  quickly 
taken.  But  Kamehameha  was  deeply  versed  in  the 
prerogatives  of  the  priesthood,  and  to  the  few  courageous 
chiefs  who  adhered  to  his  side,  he  explained  that  a  priest 
in  his  own  keidu  had  the  sole  right  to  make  sacrifice  to 
his  especial  god. 

Native  historians  have  differed  about  the  rights  of  this 
unfortunate  scene,  without  delving  into  the  interior 
motive  of  the  prince.  It  left  a  sting  in  the  hearts  of  the 
royal  altis,  and  was  the  cause  of  much  bloodshed  after 
the  death  of  Kalaniopuu.  The  aged  king  was  much 
pained  by  the  affair,  fearing  for  Kamehameha's  life 
among  these  treacherous  courtiers.  Calling  him  to  a  pri- 
vate interview,  he  justified  his  act ;  and  after  many  expres- 
sions of  love  for  him  and  his  noble  mother,  the  king 
assured  him  that  he  should  soon  rule  in  his  own  right, 
but  begged  him  to  leave  now  the  hostile  court  and  retire 
for  a  time  to  his  patrimony  at  Halawa,  or  to  his  new 
accession  of  Waipio  Valley.* 

Taking  his  young  wife,  Kalola,  and  his  god  Kaili, 
Kamehameha  went  to  Kohala,  where  he  remained  until 
summoned  to  the  bedside  of  the  dying  king.  His 
retirement  was  often  intruded  upon,  for  the  great  chiefs 
of  his  party  were  aggressive  spirits,  and  had  much  to 
bear  from  the  Kiwalao  party.  Knowing  that  the  prince 
meant  mischief,  in  revenge  for  the  trouble  at  the  heidu, 
Kamehameha  was  often  urged  to  prepare  for  war,  and  to 
beware  of  secret  assaults. 

*  Halawa  was  his  mother's  land,  inherited  from  Paao,  and  to  this 
ancient  possession  Kalaniopuu  had  added  the  whole  coast-line  to 
Waipio,  together  with  the  rich  district  of  Kailua  in  Kona.  As  this 
is  disputed,  we  give  our  authority.—"  Polynesian  Races,"  p.  301. 


272  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

The  friendly  chiefs  were  among  the  most  powerful  of  the 
nobility,  such  as  Keeaumoku,  Keawe-a-Heula,  Kameei- 
moku,  Kamanawa,  and  the  renowned  general,  Kekuhau- 
pio.  Each  one  of  them  could  easily  muster  a  thousand 
spears  at  the  blast  of  a  conch-shell.  These  were  his  coun- 
cillors, and  they  made  a  secret  compact  that  though  the 
half  of  Hawaii  was  already  his,  yet  would  they  urge  Kame- 
hameha  to  give  battle,  after  the  custom  of  all  new  kings, 
and  seek  to  acquire  the  whole  island.  To  these  power- 
ful nobles  Kamehameha  owed  great  obligations,  which  he 
never  forgot.  He  well  knew  that  though  they  placed  the 
united  crown  upon  his  head,  it  might  easily,  in  such  un- 
certain times,  have  fallen  upon  one  of  their  own. 


XXXII. 

HAWAII'S  NEW  KINGS. 

FOR  two  years  after  the  departure  of  Cook's  ships 
Kalaniopuu  held  his  peaceful  court  at  Kau,  the 
southern  district  of  Hawaii.  One  April  morning,  after  a 
reign  of  thirty  years,  the  venerable  king  sent  for  his  two 
sons  to  come  to  his  bedside.  He  was  dying.  Taking  the 
hands  of  the  weeping  princes  into  his  thin,  cold  palms,  he 
tried  to  make  known  his  will  and  to  impart  his  blessing. 
But  his  moribund  tongue  was  speechless  when  they  ar- 
rived, and  for  a  while  his  sad  eyes  became  as  many 
tongues  pleading  for  the  dumb,  so  eloquent  was  his  fear 
that  he  should  die  and  leave  unspoken  the  final  bequest 
of  his  kingdom. 

Hewahewa,  the  new  high-priest,  stood  over  him,  pray- 
ing devoutly  to  the  king's  idol,  held  aloft  in  his  hand. 
The  loved  Keeaumoku  and  the  intriguing  Keoua  were 
also  there,  both  weeping  with  such  excess  of  grief  that 
it  was  hard  to  distinguish  the  genuine  from  the  hypo- 
critical sorrow.  The  anxiety  of  all  was  great,  lest  the 
king  should  die  intestate  and  leave  the  land  to  bitter 
contentions  for  his  throne. 

At  length,  in  answer  to  priestly  supplication  and  the 
prayers  of  all  present,  the  king  found  sufficient  voice  to 
bestow  his  kingdom  and  to  express  his  last  wishes  to  the 
young  princes  : 

"  My  sons,  I  wish  to  divide  my  kingdom  between  you. 

273 


274  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

It  is  the  will  of  Pele  that  it  should  be  so.  Kneel  and 
receive  my  blessing,  and  accept  your  kingdoms.  You, 
Kiwalao,  will  be  the  greater  king,  ruling  over  Hilo, 
Puna,  and  Kau.*  Kamehameha  shall  have  Kona, 
Kohala,  and  Hamakua,  and  will  owe  allegiance  to  his 
superior.  Let  Kiwalao  be  content  with  the  best  half  of 
my  country  ;  and  you,  Kamehameha,  strive  to  maintain 
your  less  warlike  brother  upon  his  throne." 

Pausing  for  breath,  and  looking  anxiously  from  one 
to  the  other  of  his  weeping  sons,  both  of  the  royal  aliis 
bowed  in  willing  acquiescence  to  his  will,  and  promised 
solemnly  to  obey  his  wishes.  For  a  while  the  dying 
monarch  could  say  no  more,  though  his  wan  lips  still 
moved  in  voiceless  speech,  and  his  deep  eyes  eagerly 
questioned  every  countenance,  seeking  approval  of  his 
dying  message.  In  answer  to  the  lowering  cloud,  seen  on 
Keoua's  brow,  and  the  interrogatory  of  surprise  in  others, 
the  king  strove  hard  for  yet  one  more  word.  At  length 
he  found  voice  to  continue,  in  broken,  trembling  tones  : 

"  Do  you,  Kiwalao,  respect  your  vassal  king  ?  and 
you,  Kamehameha,  pay  all  due  homage  to  your  higher 
sovereign.  If  you  fight  at  the  instigation  of  others, 
your  warfare  will  not  disturb  your  dead  father  in  his 
grave,  but  it  will  lie  with  you  two  to  decide  your  lot  by 
force  of  arms.  My  earth-ghost  will  linger  long  over  the 
land  I  have  loved  ;  my  just  spirit  shall  preside  over 
your  battles,  and  witness,  from  the  sky  that  he  who  first 
rebels  against  my  dying  words  shall  not  win." 

Both  of  the  weeping  princes  again  vowed  solemnly  to 
obey  the  wishes  of  the  king.  Kalaniopuu  clasped  his 
feeble  hands  in  prayer,  wearily  closed  his  eyes,  and 
calmly  passed  away. 

*  Kau  was  the  patrimony  of  the  family  during  the  reign  of  five 
kings. 


The  Divided  Kingdom.  275 

Loud  was  the  lamentation  of  the  two  sorrowing  kings 
over  their  dead  father.  Who  shall  say  which  shed  the 
bitterest  tears  over  the  dead  parent  in  that  first  hour  of 
unfeigned  grief  ?  One  son  was  known  to  be  full  of  am- 
bition, seeking  opportunity  to  weld  all  the  eight  isles 
into  one  kingdom,  yet  his  grief  for  a  loved  father  was 
pitiful  to  behold.  The  other  son  wept  most  and  wailed 
loudest  over  the  dead  parent  whom  he  had  conspired  to 
dethrone  and  threatened  to  kill,  and  yet  truthful  history 
teaches  us  that  "  the  grief  of  Kawalao  was  deep  and  pro- 
found, and  could  not  be  comforted." 

Hewahewa  was  the  first  to  break  the  wailing,  by  inquir- 
ing of  the  great  chiefs  : 

"  Where  shall  the  two  kings  reside  while  Kau  is  thus 
polluted  ? " 

"  Where,  indeed  ? "  said  Keoua,  impatiently.  "  You, 
of  all  men,  should  decide." 

"  Hilo  and  Kona,"  replied  the  priest,  "  are  the  two 
most  suitable  places  ;  each  king  residing  in  his  own 
kingdom.  Three  months  is  the  period  of  mourning. 
Until  that  time  has  passed  the  near  relatives  must  not 
reside  in  the  land  of  Kau." 

Kiwalao  at  once  prepared  to  go  to  his  beautiful  dis- 
trict of  Hilo,  where  fruit  and  flowers  never  cease  to 
gladden  the  eye,  and  sunshine  and  showers  clothe  the 
land  the  whole  year  round  in  living  green.  Kam6- 
hameha  and  his  chiefs  took  canoe  for  Kailua,  to  enter 
into  formal  possession  of  his  three  districts,  and  to  put 
his  most  faithful  friends  in  charge  as  the  ruling  powers. 

A  general  council  was  held  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
great  chiefs  at  Kailua.  All  agreed  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  at  once  putting  their  whole  available  forces  upon  a 
war  footing,  as  the  ominous  mutterings  heard  at  the 


276  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

king's  death  presaged  war  at  the  expiration  of  the  sea- 
son of  mourning.  The  public  was  still  in  ignorance  of 
Kamehameha's  birthright,  the  true  story  of  Kalaniopuu's 
love  for  Wailele  being  known  to  but  few. 

When  the  season  of  mourning  had  nearly  expired,  all 
began  to  wonder  from  what  quarter  the  war-cloud  would 
rise.  No  sooner  had  the  will  of  the  dead  king  become 
known  than  intrigues  to  counteract  his  decision  were 
advocated  by  the  chiefs  who  favored  Kiwalao. 

The  Hilo  nobles  urged  the  necessity  of  obtaining 
Kona  because  of  its  smooth-water  fishing,  Hilo  being  on 
the  windward  shore.  Keoua  expressed  great  dissatisfac- 
tion because  his  patrimonial  estate  was  included  in 
Kamehameha's  district  of  Kohala,  to  whom  he  must 
pledge  allegiance  before  he  could  acquire  further  right 
to  his  property.  This  he  would  not  do,  well  knowing 
Kamehameha's  distrust  of  him. 

In  July  the  intrigues  of  Kiwalao's  chiefs  culminated 
in  a  plan  to  deprive  Kamehameha  of  his  newly  acquired 
kingdom.  The  plot  was  to  embark  with  the  late  king's 
body  for  Kona,  going  in  war  canoes  with  a  strong  fu- 
neral procession.  Each  mourner  was  to  be  secretly 
armed  ;  and  they  would  consecrate  the  king's  bones  by 
further  sacrifices  at  Honaunau.  If  this  intrusion  should 
be  permitted  without  a  discovery  of  their  treachery,  they 
would  land  with  the  royal  manes  at  Kailua  and  there 
take  possession  of  Kona.  Spies  from  the  west  coast  had 
reported  that  Kamehameha  and  most  of  his  chiefs  were 
at  Kawaihae.  The  occasion  seemed  favorable.  A 
strong  band  of  chiefs  and  warriors  quietly  embarked. 
Doubling  the  south  cape,  they  skirted  along  the  calm 
seas  of  the  west  or  leeward  shore,  and  landed  for  rest 
and  refreshments  at  Kahalilua.  Here  they  were  struck 


The  Funeral  Cortege.  277 

with  consternation  at  meeting  Keeaumoku,  who  had 
come  down  the  coast  with  a  double  war  canoe.  Blinded 
by  his  grief  for  the  dead  king,  whose  corpse  lay  on  the 
platform  of  the  canoe,  he  joined  his  lamentations  with 
that  of  his  unsuspected  enemies,  took  part  in  the  funeral 
procession,  and  returned  up  the  coast  with  the  others. 
His  suspicions,  however,  were  soon  aroused,  and  he 
inquired  :  "  Where  will  you  bury  the  king  ?  " 

They  replied  :    "We  are  taking  the  corpse  to  Kailua." 

Then  Keeaumoku  became  assured  that  their  intentions 
were  warlike,  for  they  were  strongly  armed,  and  were 
pressing  on  with  too  unseemly  haste  for  mourners. 
While  he  pondered  what  to  do  in  the  emergency,  a  furi- 
ous rain  squall  compelled  the  funeral  cortege  to  land  at 
Keei,  where  the  corpse  was  hastily  deposited  in  the  sep- 
ulchre of  Keawe,  a  famous  tomb  of  dead  kings. 

The  instant  that  the  storm  abated,  Keeaumoku 
manned  his  canoe  and  paddled  with  all  haste  for  Kohala 
in  search  of  Kamehameha.  He  found  him  at  Kehaka, 
ten  miles  beyond  Kailua.  A  hasty  council  was  held.  It 
was  evident  to  all  that  war  was  impending.  Arming 
themselves  for  battle,  and  quickly  gathering  a  few  war- 
riors, they  sailed  along  the  coast  to  Keei  in  search  of  the 
invaders.  They  met  Kiwalao  and  his  chiefs  coming  down 
from  the  tomb,  and  the  two  parties,  as  they  approached 
each  other,  united  in  wailing  for  the  dead  king.  The 
rival  kings  advanced  to  greet  each  other,  and  Kame'- 
hameha  demanded  a  private  interview.  Kiwalao  was  the 
first  to  speak,  and  exclaimed  with  much  ingenuity  : 

"  Alas  !  alas  for  us  two  !  Kamehameha,  we  are  as 
good  as  two  dead  men.  Here  is  the  old  Hilo  chief,  and 
Keoiia,  urging  me  on  to  fight.  In  such  a  battle  you  and 
I  only  will  be  slain.  A  miserable  plan  for  us." 


278  Kamthameha  the  Great. 

"A  miserable  plan  indeed.  This  is  Keoua's  doings. 
Give  him  a  piece  of  your  kingdom  and  quiet  the 
warrior." 

"  He  wants  more  than  I  can  give.  One  must  keep  a 
foothold  for  himself,  being  master  of  the  whole.  Aloha ! 
I  must  return  to  Kau." 

"  Aloha  !  See  that  you  return  not  to  Kona  again,  or 
spears  will  fall  thicker  than  stars." 

Thus  they  separated.  From  Kiwalao's  declamation,  it 
would  seem  that  he  had  little  relish  for  war,  but  was 
instigated  to  fight  by  his  turbulent  chiefs. 

Kamehameha's  party  went  round  into  the  bay  and 
stopped  at  Kaawaloa.  Kiwalao  returned  to  the  heidu 
of  Honaunau,  and  endeavored  to  quiet  the  rapacity  of 
his  chiefs.  But  they  importuned  the  vacillating  king  to 
wage  war,  and  at  length  so  fully  convinced  him  that  he 
would  win  an  easy  victory  that  he  there  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  parcel  out  the  yet  unconquered  country 
among  his  voracious  chiefs. 

Keoua,  the  most  warlike  among  them,  felt  himself 
neglected  in  the  distribution  of  land,  and  declared  that 
he  was  ill-treated  and  insulted  by  the  king.  This  caused 
an  angry  clamor.  The  indignant  chief  quietly  withdrew 
his  followers,  bent  upon  making  mischief  by  bringing  on 
the  war  prematurely.  Marching  to  Keomo,  he  set  his 
men  to  cutting  down  cocoa-nut  trees  and  destroying  plan- 
tations on  Kamehameha's  territory ;  killing  whoever 
resisted  his  depredations. 

These  doings  brought  on  three  days  of  constant  skir- 
mishing, during  which  time  the  rival  kings  were  calling 
forth  their  armies.  Neither  knew  that  the  other  had 
been  making  previous  preparations  for  war ;  and  each 
was  surprised  when  he  found  himself  confronted  by  a 


Keoiias  Power  for  Evil.  279 

powerful  force.  Rude  contests  were  carried  on  for  four 
days  more,  during  which  neither  party  gained  material 
advantage. 

Among  the  great  chiefs  in  Kiwalao's  army  Keoua  was 
by  far  the  most  notable  warrior.  His  quick  mind  and  his 
remarkable  symmetry  of  form  and  beauty  of  face  had 
made  him  a  gay  courtier  and  successful  gallant  from  his 
youth  ;  the  more  so  among  a  people  where  the  female 
chiefs  were  at  liberty  to  express  open  preference  for 
whom  they  liked. 

But  with  all  these  advantages  of  rank  and  personal 
charm,  Keoua's  baffled  love  for  Wailele  early  soured  him 
and  left  him  ill-tempered  and  morose.  Dissatisfied  with 
his  own  surroundings,  he  continually  drew  the  weaker- 
minded  chiefs  around  him  into  intrigues ;  and  now, 
having  been  for  years  the  chief  conspirator  among  them, 
he  stood  boldly  forth  as  the  head  and  front  of  the  war 
between  the  young  kings.  It  was  not  the  first  time  in 
the  history  of  nations  where  a  single  intriguing  noble  has 
involved  a  whole  people  in  war.  But  even  now  war 
might  possibly  have  been  avoided,  had  not  Kamehame'ha 
looked  upon  it  as  Pele's  providential  way  to  teach  him 
strategy,  preparatory  to  making  his  grand  dash  upon  the 
kings  of  the  Leeward  Islands.  For  this  view  we  have 
Kame'hame'ha's  own  testimony,  given  at  a  later  period. 

On  the  eighth  day  the  decisive  battle  was  fought  on  a 
tract  of  rough  lava  plain  at  a  place  called  Mokuohai. 
Here  Kamehameha  made  his  first  important  venture  in 
warfare,  and  developed  the  wonderful  generalship  which 
was  the  foundation  of  his  power.  For  four  days  he  had 
manoeuvred  to  gain  some  advantage  over  the  superior 
numbers  of  his  rival  ;  pressing  Kiwalao's  army  back  four 
miles  from  Houaunau.  On  the  following  morning  the 


280  Kamthamttia  the  Great. 

king  and  Keeaumoku  had  together  surveyed  the  enemy's 
position  from  an  eminence,  when  Kamehameha  sug- 
gested the  first  piece  of  successful  strategy  recorded  in 
Hawaiian  warfare.  While  the  king  drew  on  the  fight 
with  Keoua  on  the  enemy's  left  wing,  near  the  shore, 
Keeaumoku  was  ordered  to  outflank  Kiwalao's  division 
on  the  right  wing  by  advancing  some  distance  around 
and  beyond  their  main  body.  This  the  gigantic  warrior 
succeeded  in  doing,  but  at  a  dreadful  sacrifice,  as  the  left 
wing  of  his  own  army  did  not  fully  support  his  furious 
onslaught  on  the  rear  flank  of  the  enemy. 

Attacking  the  enemy  with  great  fury,  Keeaumoku  soon 
found  his  small  force  surrounded  by  Kiwalao's  whole 
division.  Fighting  with  the  utmost  desperation,  the 
giant  defended  himself  amidst  great  slaughter,  until  his 
whole  command  was  slain. 

Battling  on  single-handed  until  exhausted,  he  became 
entangled  by  a  long  spear  thrown  between  his  legs,  and 
fell  to  the  ground.  Before  he  could  recover  himself  he 
was  assailed  by  two  warriors,  Nuhi  and  Kahai  ;  one 
piercing  him  with  a  spear,  the  other  stabbing  him  furi- 
ously writh  a  dagger.  Thinking  that  the  great  chieftain 
was  mortally  wounded,  his  foes  called  out  in  derision  : 
"The  weapons  strike  the  yellow-back  crab";  alluding 
to  his  betraying  Kiwalao's  funeral  deception  to  Kame- 
hameha. Weak  and  faint  from  loss  of  blood,  and  appa- 
rently nearly  dead,  Keeaumoku  saw  Kiwalao  approaching, 
and  believed  that  the  young  king  would  intercede  to  save 
him,  as  they  had  been  the  best  of  friends  at  his  father's 
court. 

Seeing  the  warriors  trying  to  despoil  the  wounded 
chief  of  his  royal  ornament,  the  heartless  king  stood  by 
and  let  the  new-comers  stab  his  old  friend,  calling  out  to 


Death  of  Kiwalao.  281 

his  men  to  take  care  of  the  palaoa  and  /<?/*,  and  not  stain 
them  with  blood. 

Growing  impatient  to  possess  the  rich  prize,  the  king 
stooped  down  over  the  prostrate  chief,  and  himself 
sought  to  untie  the  lei  which  suspended  the  costly  insig- 
nia. Keeaumoku  had  thought  himself  dying ;  yet,  when 
he  heard  the  onset  of  his  friends,  rushing  to  the  rescue, 
and  felt  Kiwalao  loosening  his  jewel,  hatred  of  the 
heartless  act  renewed  his  strength,  and  inspired  him  to 
live. 

With  a  sudden  spring  the  wounded  giant  grasped 
Kiwalao  by  the  throat  and  drew  him  down,  held  as  by  a 
thousand  talons,  in  spite  of  his  desperate  struggle  to 
extricate  himself. 

At  that  moment  Kamehameha  and  Nalimaelua  rushed 
up.  The  latter  thrust  a  spear  through  the  body  of 
Kiwalao,  while  another  warrior  stabbed  the  young  mon- 
arch to  the  heart.  The  king  lay  dead  on  Keeaumoku's 
body,  grasping  the  long-coveted  ornament  which  had 
now  cost  him  his  life.  The  wounds  of  Keeaumoku  were 
staunched  and  he  was  taken  to  the  heidu  near  by,  where 
he  subsequently  recovered. 

In  this  final  struggle,  Keoua  stood  at  a  safe  distance, 
sulkily  looking  upon  the  sanguinary  assault  upon  his 
king,  making  no  effort  by  word  or  act  to  save  him.  The 
indignant  chief  had  not  forgotten  the  king's  recent 
neglect  and  abuse,  and  would  not  now  give  the  needed 
word  to  free  him  from  Keeaumoku's  avenging  grasp — 
the  same  red  hand  that  afterward  dealt  retribution  to 
Keoua  himself.  He  was  now  wounded  in  the  thigh  with 
a  spear,  and  when  he  saw  that  Kiwalao  was  dead  and  the 
battle  lost,  he  fled  with  his  chiefs  to  the  shore,  near  at 
hand,  swam  to  the  canoes  anchored  off  Keei,  and  escaped 


282  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

with  his  followers  to  Kau,  where  for  years  he  maintained 
himself  as  king.  Keawe,  the  aged  Hilo  chief,  who  with 
Keoua  had  instigated  the  war,  was  taken  prisoner  and 
held  for  sacrifice,  but  his  high  rank  awed  his  keepers. 
With  their  consent  he  escaped  to  the  mountains,  and 
thence  to  Hilo,  over  which,  and  the  Puna  district,  he  be- 
came king.* 

Hawaii  was  now  divided  into  three  kingdoms,  and 
though  Kamehameha  had  shown  great  generalship  in 
winning  his  first  battle,  the  victory  had  done  little  more 
than  confirm  his  title  to  his  own  three  districts. 

It  was  with  proud  joy  that  Kamehameha  looked  over 
the  battle-ground  and  gathered  up  the  canoe-loads  of 
spoil  left  by  his  foe.  That  night  he  occupied  the  puu- 
honua  at  Honaunau,  the  recent  camp  of  the  vanquished 
chiefs.  Namahana  and  her  family,  with  hundreds  of 
other  chiefesses,  friends  of  the  rival  kings,  had  fled  to 
this  city  of  refuge  for  safety.  "  Feather  Mantle  "  was 
the  first  to  greet  the  victor  as  he  entered  the  famous 
heidu.  There  Naihe  saw  and  loved  the  world-renowned 
Kapiolani,  daughter  of  the  Hilo  king,  who  was  weeping 
piteously  at  the  rumor  that  her  father  and  brother  were 
dead.  Naihe  went  over  the  battle-field  by  torch-light 
with  the  maiden,  seeking  among  the  slain  ones  for  her 
friends. 

Among  the  other  notable  persons  at  the  puuhonua  was 
the  then  unknown  chief  Kalaimoku,  who  had  fought  un- 
der Kiwalao.  He  was  kindly  received  by  Kamehameha, 
and  in  after  years  became  the  well-known  prime  minister 
to  the  king  under  the  name  of  "  Billy  Pitt."  Here  also 
were  two  of  the  numerous  widowed  queens.  Keku- 

*  His  full  name  was  Keawemaukili.  He  was  half-brother  to  Kal- 
aniopuu,  uncle  of  Kamehameha,  and  father  of  Princess  Kapiolani. 


The  Victor  s  Clemency.  283 

puohi,  the  poetess,  was  one.  It  was  she  who  clung  to  her 
imperilled  king  when  Cook  seized  him  as  a  hostage,  and 
who  stood  close  by  Lono  when  dagger  and  spear  con- 
clusively proved  that  he  was  no  god,  but  a  mortal. 
Kamehameha  had  saved  Her  life  from  some  of  his  infuri- 
ated followers  after  the  battle,  who  sought  to  kill  the 
frenzied  mother  as  she  wept  over  her  step-son,  Kiwalao, 
and  railed  upon  those  who  had  killed  him.  She  was 
kept  in  honorable  captivity  as  a  state  prisoner.  Living 
to  be  ninety  years  old,  she  saw  the  entire  extirpation  of 
her  once  formidable  race  of  kings. 

Here,  too,  came  the  noble  Keopuolani,  doubly  beauti- 
ful in  her  tears,  to  seek  for  clemency.*  Being  of  the 
most  exalted  rank  of  any  chiefess  on  the  islands,  the 
granddaughter  of  Queen  Kalola  and  the  elder  Keoua — 
before  her  marriage  to  Kalaniopuu, — Kamehameha  de- 
termined as  a  matter  of  policy  to  make  her  his  state  wife. 
She  bore  him  the  two  succeeding  kings,  the  second  and 
third  Kamehamehas,  and  also  the  ill-fated  princess,  Na- 
hienaena,  who,  after  a  prolonged  national  council  on  the 
subject,  escaped  the  indignity  of  being  married  to  her 
own  brother,  only  to  find  a  worse  fate  awaiting  her. 

In  the  first  glow  of  enthusiasm  the  young  victor  cast 
his  glittering  mamo  over  the  weeping  Keopuolani,  and 
thus  publicly  betrothed  her  before  the  multitude  as  his 

*  She  was  the  daughter  of  Liliha-Kekuiapoiwa  and  Kiwalao.  The 
discrepancy  about  Keopuolani  is  quite  puzzling.  A  writer  in  the  ' '  Poly- 
nesian "  speaks  of  her  as  the  wife  of  Kalaniopuu. — (L.  F.  Judd's 
"  Honolulu,"  page  140.)  In  Dibble's  list  of  royal  personages,  Keo- 
puolani's  mother  is  queen  of  Kalaniopuu,  which  makes  it  doubtful 
about  his  marrying  his  daughter  just  in  her  teens.  Other  writers  say 
she  was  the  granddaughter  of  the  old  king.  We  have  chosen  to  fol- 
low those  who  cite  her  as  the  young  daughter  of  Kiwalao  by  his  half- 
sister,  Kekuiapoiwa-Liliha. 


284  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

future  queen.  There  was  never  cause  for  him  to  regret 
the  generous  act  to  the  noble  young  daughter  of  a  fallen 
rival.* 

*  After  so  many  discrepancies,  we  would  make  the  relationship  of 
these  two  royal  persons  yet  more  clear.  Their  mothers,  Wailele  and 
Liliha-Kekuiapoiwa,  were  half-sisters  ;  children  of  Kalola  by  Wahupu, 
the  high-priest,  and  Prince  Keoua.  Thus  Kamehameha  and  Keopuo- 
lani  were  own  cousins,  and  both  alii pio  of  equally  high  rank. 


XXXIII. 

ROYAL    LOVERS    ON    THE    MOONLIT    SHORE. 

THE  evening  of  the  battle  of  Keei  was  Kamehameha's 
first  meeting  with  "  Feather  Mantle  "  since  he  came 
into  possession  of  his  kingdom.  He  had  purposely  kept 
away  from  Waipio  until  the  maiden  should  have  full 
scope  to  determine  which  of  her  two  lovers  she  would 
accept.  Kaahumanu  had  sent  loving  messages  to  both 
of  her  suitors,  well  pleased  that  they  found  other  matters 
to  attend  to,  until  the  final  arbitrament  of  arms  should 
decide  which  was  to  be  the  conqueror.  Him  she  would 
accept. 

But  it  was  with  unfeigned  joy  that  Kaahumanu  now 
greeted  the  proud  victor,  though  she  had  wept  long  and 
wailed  piteously  over  the  corpse  of  the  vanquished  king, 
when  he  was  taken  to  the  heidu  for  sacrifice  ;  then  to  be 
laid  by  his  father,  whose  predictions  had  come  to  pass 
sooner  than  he  could  have  thought. 

After  the  evening  meal  the  lovers  wandered  out  upon 
the  extreme  point  of  the  bay  and  seated  themselves  upon 
the  rock-bound  shore.  Never  was  there  a  more  frank 
exchange  of  feelings,  thoughts,  and  motives,  past  and 
future,  than  between  these  wise  young  heads.  For  the 
first  time  Kamehameha  now  learned  from  "  Feather 
Mantle  "  that  she  had  loved  him  dearly  from  their  first 
meeting  at  the  Feast  of  Kings.  Yet  even  now  she  frankly 
declared  that  family  considerations  would  have  com- 

285 


286  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

pelled  her  to  choose  Kiwalao  had  he  alone  become  king. 
But  when  both  of  her  lovers  became  sovereigns  her  heart 
leaped  for  joy  ;  and  then  she  would  not  have  accepted 
Kiwalao  before  his  power  to  rule  had  been  fully  settled 
by  the  usual  gage  of  battle. 

This  honest  confession  of  maidenly  coquetry  was  a 
new  attraction  to  a  heart  like  Kamehameha's.  He  could 
not  have  been  deceived  by  the  usual  subterfuges  of 
women,  for  even  at  that  early  age  he  could  penetrate  the 
motives  of  all  whom  he  met,  reading  the  true  characteris- 
tics of  a  person  as  easily  as  another  reads  a  printed  page. 

So  this  frankness  gave  new  warmth  to  Kamehameha's 
love.  The  full-crowned  moon  gave  its  charm  to  the 
hour  ;  throned  in  the  zenith  it  smiled  down  upon  the 
royal  lovers,  deepening  the  spiritual  beauty  of  the  far- 
away snow-peaks  that  pierced  the  sky. 

Seaward,  what  pictures  of  beauty  met  the  eyes  of  the 
lovers  !  In  the  direction  of  Maui  the  moonbeams  were 
flung  over  the  Upolu  Sea  from  isle  to  isle,  spanning  it 
with  a  floating  bridge  of  silver  on  billows  of  gold. 
Nearer  at  hand  the  small  waves  hastened  shoreward, 
their  tiny  crests  flickering  with  plumes  of  moonlight, 
then  breaking  upon  the  sandy  beach  with  murmurs  as 
tender  as  the  voices  of  the  twining  lovers.  The  soft 
trade-wind  sang  in  the  tops  of  the  swaying  palms,  the 
sea-foam  raced  up  the  sands  or  leaped  joyfully  upon  the 
lava  rocks  along  the  shore. 

What  a  night  was  this  for  loving  !  What  an  hour  and 
spot  was  this  to  tempt  shy  young  hearts  to  leave  their 
ambushed  coverts  and  leap  to  their  allotted  mates  ! 
Both  sea  and  wind  and  swaying  trees  sought  to  harmo- 
nize their  melody  with  the  jubilant  heart-beats  of  the 
lovers.  The  witching  moon  pressed  her  benediction 


Rare-Minded  Maidens.  287 

upon  their  brows,  and  every  watchful  star  glinted  softly 
down,  eager  to  light  the  bridal.  And  at  this  moment 
love  was  indeed  most  fit  reward  for  the  victorious  king. 
The  ordeal  had  been  passed,  the  battle  won,  the  wild 
enthusiasm  of  chiefs,  warriors,  and  the  great  multitude 
about  the  heidu  had  rent  the  air  with  the  applause  that 
records  the  fame  of  greatness.  What  now  but  the  tender 
tones  and  ecstatic  touch  of  one  he  loves  could  crown  the 
glory  of  a  warrior  ? 

The  proud,  impetuous  beauty  twined  her  arms  about 
the  victor  king  with  newly  awakened  pride  in  the 
object  of  her  love.  Well  might  the  ambitious  prince 
forget  his  strategy  and  all  the  toils  of  battle,  and  give 
himself  up  to  the  thrilling  dalliance  that,  though  it  is 
alike  in  all  countries,  is  doubly  intensified  by  a  tropic 
clime.  We  know  not  with  what  burning  words  they 
sought  to  impress  their  loves  upon  each  other,  nor 
need  to  know,  for  all  words,  in  such  an  hour,  are  but 
throbbing  wings  that  bring  beating  hearts  together,  as 
angels  walk  upon  the  stars  when  they  approach  the  face 
that  they  adore.  *  *  * 

The  night  wore  on.  At  last  Naihe  and  young  Kapiolani, 
won  by  the  brilliance  of  the  night  and  the  solitude  of 
the  wave-washed  point,  came  and  sat  by  the  king  and 
Kaahumanu.  This  enamoured  couple  had  just  returned 
from  the  battle-field,  where  they  had  been  searching  for 
Kapiolani's  father  and  brother,  reported  killed.  They 
had  found,  instead,  those  who  knew  of  the  escape  of 
the  Hilo  chiefs.  Prompted  by  the  moonbeams,  they  now 
sought  to  fathom  the  mystery  of  tender  glances  and 
pulsating  bosoms, — a  wondrous  witchery  that  had  served 
to  dry  the  maiden's  tears  for  the  lost  friends,  ere  they 
were  found,  and  now  prompted  her  to  lend  a  willing  ear 
to  Naihe's  admiration  of  her  beauty. 


288  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

What  a  notable  meeting  of  rare  maidens  was  this  ! 
One  of  these  ardent  girls  was  yet  to  become  a  renowned 
minister  of  state,  the  one  queen  among  Kamehameha's 
twenty  wives  who  should  rule  the  affairs  of  a  turbulent 
kingdom,  in  peace  and  war,  after  the  death  of  the  king. 
The  other  young  girl  was  equally  beautiful  and  imperi- 
ous, though  more  flexible  than  Kaahumanu,  and  more 
reverent  of  divine  things,  whether  creeds  of  the  tabii 
dogma  or  the  subsequent  Christian  revelation. 

The  heroic  Kapiolani  was  among  the  first  to  forsake 
idolatry  and  break  from  the  tabti  creed,  showing  the 
courage  of  her  convictions  by  defying  Pele  in  her  own 
stronghold,  and  descending  into  the  dreadful  crater  of 
Kilauea,  where  she  confronted  the  dread  goddess  before 
a  doubting  multitude,  and  made  known  to  all  the  world 
that  Jehovah  was  the  only  true  God. 

While  Kaahumanu  had  the  most  logical  mind,  she  be- 
came inert,  and  was  often  procrastinating,  laboriously 
reasoning  herself  into  just  •  convictions  of  right  before 
she  would  act.  Kapiolani  was  intuitive  and  brilliant  as 
a  meteor.  But  having  mastered  a  conviction,  both  of 
these  noble  creatures  were  alike  immovable  as  the  moun- 
tains of  their  native  land. 

One  incident,  characteristic  of  Kapiolani's  promptness 
to  act  upon  sudden  conviction,  is  of  sufficient  interest  to 
lead  us  to  digress  from  our  narrative. 

Some  days  after  the  battle  of  Keei  there  was  a  great 
excitement  at  Kaawaloa.  Kapiolani  and  a  girl  com- 
panion of  noble  birth  chanced  to  stand  by  a  rare  banana 
tree  whose  luscious  fruit  tempted  them  to  eat.  "  But 
the  penalty  is  death,"  said  the  other.  "  I  know  it  is  one 
of  the  strict  tabus  against  our  sex,  but  it  is  wrong,  and  I 
will  eat  one  in  defiance  of  the  unjust  decree,"  said  the 
impulsive  princess. 


Kapiolani  Escapes  Death.  289 

A  stern  old  priest  saw  the  sacrilegious  act.  Kapiolani 
secreted  the  coveted  banana  in  the  fold  of  her  petticoat, 
and  hurried  with  her  companion  chiefess  to  the  shore. 
With  nervous  apprehension  the  girls  disrobed  and  swam 
far  out  from  shore,  where  they  ate  the  forbidden  fruit, 
though  they  well  knew  the  doom  was  death. 

With  many  a  furtive  glance  they  swam  back  to  the 
shore,  where  they  were  suddenly  confronted  by  the  spy- 
ing kahtina.  The  priest  took  the  girls  before  a  tribunal 
at  the  heidu,  where  he  accused  them  of  breaking  a  death 
tabii.  It  was  pronounced  a  dreadful  sacrilege,  and  they 
were  condemned  to  "poverty,  loss  of  rank,  and  to 
remain  unmarried  through  life." 

Naihe,  the  young  lover  of  Kapiolani,  appealed  to  the 
king  that  the  verdict  should  be  set  aside  because  of  the 
youth  of  the  wahines.  He  was  summoned  before  the 
tribunal  of  priests,  where  Hewahewa  presided  as  judge. 
Never  was  a  more  stirring  appeal  heard  from  the  lips  of 
man  than  this  of  Naihe  ;  the  young  orator  won  his  case, 
and  the  beautiful  Kapiolani  sprang  to  his  side  and  fainted 
in  his  arms.  They  were  married  a  few  weeks  subsequent 
to  the  event. 

The  high-priest  decided  that,  though  the  dreadful 
desecration  was  worthy  of  death,  it  might  be  condoned 
by  sacrificing  Kapiolani's  favorite  page.  The  princess 
pleaded  eloquently  for  the  boy's  life,  and  bade  them  take 
her  life  instead.  In  spite  of  her  tears  the  lad  was  seized 
by  the  executioner  and  carried  to  the  altar  of  Honaunau, 
where  he  was  strangled,  and  sacrificed  to  the  god  of  the 
heidu*  It  was  the  last  banana  that  Kapiolam  ventured 
to  eat  during  her  whole  life. 

*  Forty  years  after  this  time,  the  subject  being  alluded  to,  Kapiolani 
sent  for  the  priest  who  accused  her  and  executed  the  boy,  and  asked  : 
~  "  Tell  me  what  you  think  of  such  proceedings  now?" 


290  Kam/Jtamtka  the  Great. 

Among  the  first  thoughts  of  the  young  king  after  he 
came  into  possession  of  his  kingdom,  and  had  made 
ready  to  meet  the  expected  clash  of  arms,  was  to  visit 
Waimanu  and  receive  the  congratulations  of  his  darling 
mother.  It  was  a  proud  day  for  Wailele  when  she  again 
looked  upon  her  son,  the  successful  general  as  well  as 
the  king  of  all  Hawaii.  But  there  was  yet  many  a  hard 
battle  to  be  fought  before  the  surviving  chiefs  among 
Kiwalao's  adherents  would  peacefully  submit  to  Kame- 
hameha's  rule. 

On  his  way  to  Waimanu,  the  king  examined  every 
camp  of  his  followers  along  the  coast,  and  sought  to 
acquaint  himself  with  the  merits  of  the  stranger  chiefs 
everywhere  he  went.  He  also  mingled  freely  with  his 
native  soldiers,  who  had  just  returned  to  their  homes, 
endeavoring  to  win  their  love  and  to  arouse  a  patriotic 
impulse  among  them  ;  requiring  every  chief  and  soldier 
alike  to  keep  himself  equipped  for  battle. 

Most  happy  was  Wailele  when  her  warrior  king  came 
unannounced  to  Mukini,  presenting  his  much-loved 
Kaahumanu,  to  whom  he  was  quietly  wedded  by  his 
mother  at  the  heidu. 

A  sacrificial  feast  was  prepared  for  the  occasion,  in 
which  offerings  of  ilio  poll  were  made  to  Pele,  for  the 
success  of  the  god-born  in  battle ;  together  with  floral 
offerings  to  the  god  Lono,  in  honor  of  the  new-made 
queen,  the  charming  "  Feather  Mantle,"  with  whom 
Wailele  was  much  pleased. 

' '  Those  were  dark  days  to  us  all.  We  priests  knew  better  all  the 
time,  yet  it  was  necessary  to  retain  power  over  the  people." 

' '  What  did  you  do  with  my  boy  ?  " 

"  Strangled  him  and  sacrificed  him  on  the  altar." 

The  tender-hearted  chiefess  hid  her  face  in  her  hands  and  wept, 
exclaiming:  "Oh!  why  did  not  the  Christians  come  sooner?" — 
(L.  F.  Judd's  "  Honolulu,"  p.  98.) 


The  Giant  Guard.  291 

Here  in  his  native  valley  the  king  spent  the  early  part 
of  his  honey-moon,  wandering  among  the  pleasant  haunts 
of  his  boyhood  with  his  loved  young  bride.  Here  too 
he  organized  a  company  of  giant  chiefs,  for  a  reserve 
force  in  battle,  which  numbered  a  thousand  men  before 
the  wars  were  over ;  these  were  called  the  "  King's 
Guard,"  and  the  gigantic  Keeaumoku  was  their  leader.* 

Not  long  could  he  abide  in  this  secluded  vale  ;  for 
Wailele's  prophetic  visions,  seen  in  hours  of  fervid 
worship,  soon  warned  him  that  yet  greater  preparations 
were  to  be  made  to  resist  the  coming  contests  with 
Keoua  and  Keawemau,  the  new  kings  of  Kau  and  Hilo, 
who  were  organizing  an  army  greatly  outnumbering 
Kamehameha's  forces.  This  called  him  to  Waipio, 
where  he  was  busy  for  months  in  preparing  for  war. 

*  The  Guard  took  rise  from  the  celebrated  "  Alapa"  regiment  of 
nobles  led  by  Kalaniopuu. 


XXXIV. 

WAR    WITH    THE    KINGS    OF    HILO    AND    KAU. 

AS  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  approaching  death  of 
Kalaniopuu,  the  warlike  Kahekili  attacked  the 
Hawaiian  forces  which  held  possession  of  the  eastern 
half  of  his  kingdom.  After  some  minor  battles, 
the  numerous  outlying  camps  of  Hawaiians  were  all 
driven  into  the  strongly  fortified  camp  on  the  hill  of 
Kauwiki,  in  Hana,  East  Maui.  Here  for  a  time  they 
defended  themselves  successfully  against  their  besiegers. 
The  army  of  Maui  at  length  cut  off  their  water  supply, 
and  starved  out  the  heroic  garrison,  who  finally  surren- 
dered upon  Kahekili's  promise  of  safe  conduct  to  their 
own  island.  But  when,  weak  with  wounds  and  hunger, 
they  marched  down  into  the  midst  of  their  enemies,  they 
were  immediately  attacked  and  slain.  The  treacherous 
Kahekili  could  not  well  keep  a  promise  even  with  a 
brave  foe. 

Then  followed  one  of  the  most  inhuman  acts  of  bar- 
baric warfare.  This  whole  garrison  of  brave  warriors 
was  prepared  for  baking  in  the  earth-ovens.  The  bodies 
were  wrapped  in  succulent  ki  leaves,  and  cooked  like 
hogs  and  dogs  for  a  feast.*  Thus  was  the  great  victory 
of  Kauwiki  celebrated,  not  by  the  usual  holocaust  to 
the  gods,  but  by  a  cannibal  banquet. 

*  See  Dibble's  "  History,"  p.  53,  for  a  description  of  this  scene. 
292 


Preparing  for  War.  293 

Great  was  the  indignation  of  Kamehameha  and  his 
army  when  they  heard  of  the  success  of  the  Maui  king, 
and  of  his  cruel  treachery.  Though  it  was  hardly  pru- 
dent for  him  to  invade  Maui  when  his  own  kingdom  of 
Hawaii  was  but  just  confirmed  to  him,  yet  so  great  was 
the  rage  against  Kahekili  for  this  butchery  and  canni- 
balism that  Kamehameha  feared  loss  of  prestige  with  his 
people  if  he  did  not  at  once  declare  war.  Collecting  a 
great  fleet  of  canoes  at  Kamilo  and  other  havens  lying 
opposite  to  Maui,  the  young  king  gathered  as  large  an 
army  as  he  could  spare,  and  made  ready  to  embark  to 
recover  his  lost  province.  A  spy  from  the  Hawaiian 
court  took  word  over  to  Kahekili  of  the  intended  inva- 
sion. The  Maui  king  at  once  said  to  his  brother,  Ala- 
pai  :  "  Take  a  swift  canoe,  cross  the  water  to  Kohala, 
land  at  Kamilo,  and  say  to  this  young  aspirant  for  a 
kingdom  :  Your  father  sends  this  message  :  '  Wait  till 
the  black  tapa  covers  me,  then  my  kingdom  shall  be  yours 
without  a  war' 

"  But  if  Kamehameha  still  insists  upon  war,  and  will 
not  recognize  this  command,  then  tell  him  :  '  If  you 
wage  war  upon  the  "  Thunderer,"  then  you  and  your 
soldiers  shall  die  a  quick  death  before  the  sun  goes 
down.'  " 

Alapai  crossed  the  Upolu  Sea  and  landed  at  Kamilo. 
When  taken  to  Kamehameha  the  young  king  asked  him  : 

"  Alii,  what  message  do  you  bring  me  from  the  canni- 
bal king  of  Maui  ?  " 

"  Sire,  your  father,  the  great  king  and  mighty  warrior, 
sent  me  to  bestow  upon  you  his  kingdom  of  Maui,  saying  : 
'  Tell  my  son  to  wait  till  the  black  tapa  covers  me,  then 
my  kingdom  shall  be  his  without  the  perils  of  war.'  " 

Kamehameha  looked  black  with  rage  while  Alapai  was 


294  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

delivering  his  message,  and  several  of  the  Maui  chiefs 
handled  their  weapons  nervously,  fearing  that  there 
would  be  need  to  defend  themselves.  But  mastering  his 
passion,  aroused  by  the  defamation  of  his  loved  mother, 
the  king  haughtily  said  : 

"  Go  back  to  your  treacherous  king  and  tell  him 
Kamehameha  will  bring  his  own  answer  in  person.  Be- 
gone ! " 

Calling  a  council  of  his  chiefs,  Kamehameha  laid  the 
case  before  them,  and  finally  took  their  advice,  which 
was  to  disperse  his  fleet  for  the  time.  Kahekili  had  too 
strong  a  force  to  be  easily  dealt  with,  and  they  must  pre- 
pare to  meet  the  new  kings  of  Hilo  and  Kau,  who,  hear- 
ing that  Kamehameha  was  about  to  embark  for  Maui, 
were  already  raising  a  great  army  of  invasion.  But 
before  Kamehameha  could  organize  such  a  force  as  he 
wished,  the  struggle  with  Keoua  was  precipitated  by  an 
unexpected  occurrence.  Kanakoa,  a  powerful  chief  of 
Puna,  had  rebelled,  and  made  war  against  the  Hilo 
king.  Being  defeated,  he  fled  for  protection  to  Keoua, 
with  whom  he  soon  after  quarrelled  and  fought,  and  was 
slain. 

A  brother  of  Kanakoa,  prompted  by  revenge,  took  up 
the  cause  and  marched  with  all  the  retainers  of  the 
family  into  Kona,  where  he  begged  Kamehameha  to 
attack  Keoua.  Coming  as  he  did  with  a  strong  body  of 
warriors,  and  being  well  informed  of  the  weak  points  of 
the  Kau  king,  this  great  chief's  aid  was  of  value. 
Kamehameha  decided  to  espouse  his  cause.  A  council 
of  nobles  was  called.  They  advised  war  against  the  two 
rival  kings. 

An  army  was  soon  concentrated  and  marched  upon 
Kau.  Keoua  gathered  his  forces  to  meet  Kamehameha 


Battles  with  Keotia.  295 

among  the  mountain  passes,  and  a  severe  battle  was 
fought,  which  so  weakened  both  armies  that  the  two 
combatants  retired  into  camp  to  await  reinforcements. 

Keawe,  the  Hilo  king,  soon  came  to  Keoua's  aid, 
and  together  they  marched  to  attack  Kamehameha. 
This  second  series  of  battles  was  a  long  and  doubtful 
struggle,  ever  after  known  as  Kauaawa — the  bitter  con- 
test. Beginning  in  Kau,  these  successive  battles  ranged 
northward  through  Puna  into  Hilo.  They  were  desperate 
fights.  Nothing  but  Kamehameha's  superior  general- 
ship saved  him  from  destruction,  for  his  two  rivals  had 
equal  bravery  and  greater  forces.  Their  armies  indeed 
were  not  vanquished,  but  they  were  greatly  weakened  and 
dispirited. 

After  one  of  these  desperate  struggles  in  the  Hilo  dis- 
trict, Kamehameha  withdrew  to  recruit  in  the  fruitful 
valley  of  Lau-pa-hoe-hoe,  near  his  own  kingdom.  Here 
he  reinforced  his  numbers,  and  gathered  a  fleet  of  canoes 
with  which  to  outflank  the  Hilo  army,  which  was  in- 
trenched upon  the  Wailuku  River  ready  to  receive  him. 

Embarking  all  his  forces  in  the  night,  Kamehameha 
sailed  southward  past  Hilo,  and  at  dawn  landed  his  army 
in  Puna,  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  A  body  of  Puna  men 
saw  the  fleet  coming  and  gathered  on  the  shore  to  resist 
a  landing.  Among  these  was  a  company  of  hardy  fisher- 
men. As  Kamehameha  sprang  into  the  surf,  while  lead- 
ing his  chiefs  to  the  assault,  his  foot  slipped  into  a  crevice 
of  the  coral  rock,  where  it  was  held  fast  for  some  min- 
utes during  the  wild  confusion  of  battle.  It  came  near 
costing  him  his  life.  Before  the  king  could  extricate 
himself  he  was  assailed  with  great  fury  by  the  rough- 
handed  fishermen.  Pelted  with  stones  and  beaten  with 
paddles,  he  defended  himself  as  best  he  could.  A  blow 


296  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

from  a  paddle  in  the  hands  of  a  powerful  fisherman 
nearly  beat  in  his  forehead  ;  but  tearing  his  foot  from 
the  coral,  he  despatched  his  assailant  and  struggled  to 
land,  barely  escaping  with  his  life. 

This  rear  attack  partly  succeeded,  for  Kamehameha 
captured  a  strong  body  of  Hilo  men.  Among  the  pris- 
oners were  a  number  of  warriors  sent  to  Hilo  by  the 
treacherous  king  of  Maui ;  a  curious  proof  of  a  "  father's 
love  "  for  his  warlike  son. 

This  incident  newly  enraged  Kamehameha  against 
Kahekili,  and  in  the  intervals  of  battle  he  inquired  into  the 
affair.  The  Maui  king  had  previously  sent  to  the  kings 
of  Hilo  and  Kohala  for  the  loan  of  a  large  double  war- 
canoe  from  each  for  use  in  his  Leeward  wars.  Kame'- 
hameha  did  not  honor  the  request.  But  Keawe  sent  a 
fine  large  double  canoe,  and  in  return  Kahekili  sent  these 
experienced  soldiers  to  fight  against  his  too  warlike 
"  son."  Their  leader  was  now  sent  for,  and  asked  what 
he  had  to  say  against  the  doom  of  death.  He  was  a 
manly  fellow,  undaunted  by  his  peril,  and  he  said  : 

"  Your  Majesty !  We  are  foreign  soldiers,  found 
fighting  against  a  noble  king.  If  you  say  :  '  Hold  up 
your  heads  !  '  we  hold  them  up  and  live.  If  you  com- 
mand :  '  Bow  down  in  the  dust  !  '  we  bow  down.  If  you 
say  :  '  Die  !  '  then  we  will  die  for  having  obeyed  our 
lawful  king."  * 

The  noble  nature  of  the  young  king  prevailed.  With 
Kahekili  lay  the  blame  ;  not  with  the  brave  warriors  he 
sent.  Kamehameha  bade  the  brave  chief  take  canoes 
and  return  to  Maui  ;  and  to  report  to  Kahekili  that  his 
treachery  was  discovered,  and  a  day  of  reckoning  was  at 
hand.  This  incident  finally  determined  Kamehameha  to 
fit  out  his  next  expedition  against  Maui. 

*  See  Dibble's  "  History,"  p.  59,  for  further  particulars. 


Peace  with  the  Two  Kings.  297 

With  a  view  to  secure  peace  in  Hawaii  during  his  ab- 
sence on  Maui,  he  sought  an  interview  with  the  Hilo 
king,  and  the  two  monarchs  agreed  upon  terms  of  peace. 
Keawe  became  the  tributary  chief  of  Kamehameha,  and 
agreed  to  furnish  a  quota  of  soldiers  whenever  Kame- 
hameha should  require  them  for  his  contemplated  wars 
against  Maui. 

Keoiia  had  previously  returned  to  Kau,  and  was  there- 
fore not  present  at  the  armistice  ;  but  he  was  considered 
in  the  negotiations  between  the  other  two  kings,  with 
hopes  that  he  too  would  confess  the  proved  superiority  of 
Kamehameha,  and  promise  allegiance  to  him.  These 
hopes,  however,  were  not  fulfilled.  The  arrogant  Keoua 
scorned  to  confess  that  he  was  beaten,  and  refused 
his  submission.  But  the  agreement  between  the  other 
kings,  so  long  as  it  lasted,  would  deprive  Keoiia  of  all 
future  ascendancy.  This  so  rankled  in  his  proud  heart 
that  he  at  length  quarrelled  with  his  former  ally.  A  war 
sprang  up  between  them  during  Kamehameha's  absence 
in  Maui,  in  which  the  Hilo  king  was  killed,  and  Keoiia 
came  into  possession  of  his  kingdom. 

Up  to  this  time  Kamehameha  had  fought  all  his  battles 
against  superior  numbers,  and  with  only  the  rude  weapons 
of  native  warfare.  He  had  thus  far  maintained  himself 
by  skill  and  strategy  superior  to  that  of  any  former  chief 
of  his  nation.  Yet  great  as  had  been  his  success,  he  saw 
that  ere  he  could  conquer  the  entire  group  he  must  have 
better  drilled  soldiers,  armed  with  more  destructive 
weapons  of  warfare.  To  this  he  now  turned  his  whole 
attention. 

With  this  purpose  in  view,  he  now  promulgated 
along  his  whole  coast-line  an  order  for  the  people  to 
trade  with  foreign  ships,  only  in  barter  for  arms  and  mu- 


298  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

nitions  of  war  ;  and  to  befriend  and  protect  the  runaway 
seamen — who  had  hitherto  been  hunted  and  delivered  to 
their  ships  for  a  trifle — that  the  white  men  might  teach 
the  natives  the  use  of  foreign  weapons. 

Kamehameha  had  already  obtained  a  swivel  cannon 
from  Captain  Douglas,  of  the  "  Iphigenia  "  ;  but  as  yet 
no  one  knew  how  to  use  it.  From  this  vessel  also  came 
Kaiana,  a  warlike  chief  of  Maui,*  who  had  been  to 
China,  and  was  given  a  number  of  muskets,  with  powder 
and  ball,  for  his  services.  So  valuable  an  acquisition 
was  Kaiana  with  these  foreign  weapons,  that  high  rank 
and  extensive  landed  possessions  were  bestowed  upon 
him  by  the  king  ;  though  at  present  the  fire-arms  were  a 
trifle  more  dangerous  to  their  owner  than  to  the  enemy 
he  wished  to  shoot.  For  this  dreadful  weapon  was,  in- 
deed, quite  as  likely  to  do  execution  at  the  breech  as  at 
the  muzzle.  But  as  the  intelligent  Hawaiians  saw  that 
victory  must  rest  with  those  who  had  the  "  red-mouthed 
guns,"  their  rapture  to  possess  fire-arms  was  that  of  men 
seeking  the  gift  of  omnipotence. 

A  number  of  Hawaiian  chiefs  plotted  to  capture  the 
"  Iphigenia  "  as  a  nucleus  for  a  navy  ;  but  Kaiana,  her 
late  passenger,  informed  Kamehameha,  who  forbade  it 
and  ordered  the  ship  away.  He  saw  that  his  interest  lay 
in  protecting  ships  and  in  securing  the  aid  and  friend- 
ship of  foreigners.  Yet  his  ambition  must  have  been 
sorely  tempted  sometimes  to  acquiesce  in  some  of  the 
plots  to  seize  a  vessel.  What  services  might  it  not  render 
in  transporting  his  army  to  Maui  ! 

About  this  time,  in  the  autumn  of  1789,  a  vessel  ar- 

*  One  of  three  traitorous  brothers  who  had  previously  conspired 
against  Kahekili,  and  fled  to  Kauai ;  thus,  erroneously,  stated  by 
Jarves  and  other  writers  as  being  a  Kauaian. 


Capturing  the  "  Fair  American."  299 

rived  among  the  islands  whose  officers  and  a  part  of 
their  armament  did  more  to  influence  the  future  con- 
quests of  Kamehameha  than  any  other  event  in  the 
history  of  his  wars. 

In  February  of  the  following  year,  1790,  while  this 
vessel,  the  American  ship  "  Eleanor,"  was  anchored  off 
Honuaula,  in  Maui,  two  chiefs  from  Oloalu  stole  a  boat 
in  the  night  from  its  moorings  at  the  stern.  The  sleep- 
ing sailor  in  the  boat  was  killed  for  giving  the  alarm,  and 
the  boat  was  broken  up  for  the  nails  from  which  to  make 
awls  and  fish-hooks.  In  retaliation  for  this  theft  and 
murder,  Captain  Metcalf  fired  a  broadside  of  musketry 
and  cannon  among  a  fleet  of  canoes  filled  with  innocent 
people,  more  than  a  hundred  of  whom  were  killed. 
Sometime  subsequent  to  that  event  the  chief  Kameeimoku 
was  subjected  to  insult  and  blows  for  some  trifling  offence 
on  board  the  "  Eleanor."  Adopting  the  wretch  Met- 
calf's  plan  of  killing  the  innocent  for  what  the  guilty 
have  done,  this  powerful  chief  vowed  to  be  revenged  on 
the  next  vessel  which  came  in  his  power. 

Soon  after  the  sloop  "  Fair  American,"  in  command  of 
Metcalf's  son,  a  lad  of  eighteen,  came  in  trading  upon 
the  Kona  coast  where  Kameeimoku  lived.  •  The  chief 
ordered  out  his  canoes  filled  with  trade  and  presents,  and 
boarded  the  sloop  in  the  guise  of  friendship.  Overpow- 
ering the  crew,  he  killed  and  flung  overboard  the  boy- 
captain,  and  all  but  one  of  the  sailors,  the  young  mate, 
who  was  at  the  helm,  and  boldly  defended  himself  with 
a  pistol.  Though  Isaac  Davis  was  knocked  down  and 
disarmed,  so  favorable  was  the  impression  he  made  by 
his  courage  that  Kameeimoku  saved  his  life  and  deliv- 
ered him  to  the  king  as  a  warrior  fit  to  be  nurtured  for 
future  use. 


300  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

The  vessel  was  run  ashore  in  the  snug  haven  of  Kau- 
pulehu.  The  two  brass  swivel  guns,  the  muskets,  and 
the  ammunition  were  safely  landed  as  prizes  of  untold 
value  ;  and  with  these  were  won  all  the  important  battles 
of  the  impending  war  of  conquest. 

News  of  this  retaliatory  piracy  was  hastily  sent  down 
the  coast  to  the  king,  lest  it  should  become  known  to 
Metcalf,  and  he  should  again  execute  a  murderous  re- 
venge. Kamehameha  was  so  grieved  at  what  he  heard 
that  he  shed  tears  over  the  event.  But  Kameeimoku 
was  too  powerful  a  chief  to  be  punished  at  that  stage  of 
the  king's  power. 

But  the  most  abiding  influence  derived  from  the  peo- 
ple of  the  "  Eleanor  "  was  brought  about  by  an  act  of 
the  king's.  Metcalf  was  then  lying  off  Kealakeakua  Bay, 
waiting  for  his  son  to  come  down  the  coast  in  the  sloop 
just  captured.  John  Young,  his  boatswain,  was  on  shore 
at  the  time  with  a  boat  and  crew,  and  was  surprised  to 
find  himself  detained  as  a  prisoner,  by  order  of  the  king, 
when  about  to  go  on  board  the  "  Eleanor  "  for  the  night. 
Kamehameha  saw  the  absolute  necessity  of  preventing 
Young  from  going  aboard  and  reporting  the  murder  of 
young  Metcalf.  What  retaliation  the  ferocious  father 
would  have  resorted  to  cannot  now  be  known. 

For  two  days  the  "  Eleanor  "  lay  off  the  port,  firing 
signal  guns  for  Young's  return.  After  the  ship  disap- 
peared, Young  and  Davis  and  the  crew  of  the  boat  were 
set  at  liberty.  All  were  treated  kindly.  The  two  officers 
were  made  chiefs,  and  wives  were  given  them,  as  well  as 
valuable  estates,  in  order  to  secure  their  aid  and  interest 
in  the  coming  wars.  Most  efficient  aid  did  these  brave 
men  bestow  upon  their  noble  benefactor,  the  king,  who 
soon  came  to  love  Keone  Ana  (John  Young)  as  a  brother. 


John  Young.  301 

The  two  cannon  stolen  from  the  "  Fair  American," 
and  the  gun  that  had  been  bought  of  the  "  Iphigenia  " 
were  mounted  upon  three  of  the  largest  war-canoes. 
Carriages  for  land  service  were  also  made  for  each,  and 
wonderful  was  the  effect  of  these  brass  guns  upon  the 
fate  of  the  island  nations.  Young  and  Davis  trained  a 
few  Kanakas,  with  a  nucleus  of  whites,  to  the  use  of  mus- 
kets ;  and  thus  many  a  doubtful  crisis  in  the  coming 
battles  was  turned  into  victory. 


XXXV. 

THE   CONQUEST    OF    MAUL 

UNTIL  the  year  1790  all  Kamehamelia's  fighting 
on  Hawaii  had  been  for  self-preservation,  in  the 
wars  with  three  rival  kings — Kiwalao,  Keoua,  and  his 
uncle,  Keawe, — fought  for  the  sole  purpose  of  maintaining 
his  newly  bequeathed  throne.  Having  gained  full  su- 
premacy on  Hawaii  by  compelling  the  vassalage  of  the 
Hilo  king,  and  having  so  crippled  the  warlike  Keoua 
that  he  was  powerless  without  an  ally,  Kamehameha  was 
now  ready  to  embark  on  a  war  of  subjugation  against 
the  Leeward  Islands,  the  first  step  in  his  life-long  scheme 
for  the  conquest  of  the  group.  For  several  years  he  had 
been  busy  drilling  and  organizing  his  native  legions. 
Now  that  the  white  soldiers  were  disciplined  and  well 
armed,  Kamehameha  believed  that  his  war  power  was 
sufficiently  formidable  for  any  contingency. 

When  nearly  ready  to  sail,  he  ordered  the  two  vassal 
kings  to  send  him  a  strong  body  of  men  to  join  in  the  ex- 
pedition against  Maui.  Keawe  willingly  responded  by 
sending  a  fine  company  of  Hilo  men  ;  but  the  arrogant 
Keoua  denied  all  allegiance,  and  flatly  refused.  This 
untoward  event  compelled  the  king  to  leave  a  body  of 
men,  with  Kaiana  at  their  head,  to  look  after  the  still 
turbulent  King  of  Kau.  The  leader  sent  in  command  of 
the  Hilo  troops  was  Kalaimano,  the  great  chief  who 
killed  Captain  Cook.  With  these  the  fleet  sailed  for  Maui. 

302 


Kalani  of  Oahu.  303 

Landing  at  Kahului  Bay,  in  Wailuku,  Kamehame'ha 
hastened  to  concentrate  his  whole  army  at  the  inland 
village  of  Waikapu,  among  the  desert  of  sand-dunes  on 
the  isthmus  of  Kula,  which  bisects  the  island  into  East 
and  West  Maui.  This  position  was  chosen  to  cover  the 
Wailuku  Pass,  leading  to  the  romantic  "vale  of  lao." 
That  this  camp  among  sand-dunes  was  of  the  first  mili- 
tary importance  was  evident.  Thousands  of  bleached 
skeletons  of  dead  warriors  were  seen  half  emerging  from 
their  sepulchres  of  sand,  as  if  hastening  forth  in  ghostly 
legion  to  withstand  the  advance  of  living  armies. 

Kahekili's  spies  had  kept  him  informed  of  Kamehame"- 
ha's  preparations  for  war,  and  he  had  prudently  strength- 
ened and  drilled  his  own  army,  camped  among  the  valleys 
of  Lahaina.  A  fierce  war  spirit  was  now  aroused  to  meet 
the  renowned  young  king  of  Hawaii  in  battle,  for  his 
prowess  had  already  filled  the  island  world  with  wonder. 
None  wished  to  encounter  the  famed  warrior  more  than 
young  Kalani,  the  son  of  Kahekili,  who  was  now  by 
chance  left  in  command  of  his  father's  army  of  veterans. 

Obtaining  prompt  notice  of  Kamehameha's  landing, 
and  believing  that  the  Hawaiians,  in  the  pride  of  their 
strength,  would  follow  the  usual  method  of  invaders  and 
carelessly  camp  about  Wailuku  without  present  thought 
of  an  enemy,  Kalani  determined  to  march  that  very  night 
by  a  deep  gorge  in  the  mountain  that  bisects  West  Maui 
and  leads  through  the  vale  of  lao.  He  planned  to  de- 
bouch by  Wailuku  Pass  at  dawn,  and  with  the  spring  of 
famished  wolves  to  pounce  upon  the  invaders  before  they 
could  organize  for  a  battle. 

The  daring  conception  and  swift  execution  of  this  im- 
pulsive campaign  was  worthy  of  a  hero.  Boy  as  he  was, 
Kalani  had  long  burned  with  a  consuming  valor  to  meet 


304  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

this  boasted  Hawaiian  king  in  battle.  Nothing  but  the 
shock  of  contending  armies  could  satisfy  his  kindred 
thirst  for  fame.  The  birth  in  one  decade  of  two  such 
remarkable  geniuses  for  war  gives  the  only  possible 
color  to  Kahekili's  claim  to  the  paternity  of  both.  This 
oft-asserted  paternity  led  Kamehameha  to  take  vengeance 
for  the  defamation  cast  upon  his  revered  mother,  Wai- 
lele  ;  while  Kalani  went  forth  to  meet  Kamehameha  as 
his  "bastard  brother,"  in  envy  of  his  fame  in  war,  and 
bitter  jealousy  of  his  suppposed  birthright,  and  favorit- 
ism with  Pele.* 

Unfortunately  for  Kalani's  well-laid  plans,  Kame*- 
hameha  did  not  camp  on  the  shore  at  Wailuku,  but 
marched  instead,  with  the  utmost  expedition,  to  secure 
the  very  pass  from  which  Kalani  intended  to  debouch 
and  surprise  him.  Had  each  general  known  the  plans  of 
the  other,  they  could  not  have  met  each  other's  strategy 
better  than  they  did.  Kamehameha  did  precisely  what 
he  once  advised  Kalaniopuu  to  do,  at  the  secret  council 
on  the  day  after  the  "Feast  of  Kings."  The  brilliant 
strategy  of  the  boy-chief  was  then  considered  a  desperate 
scheme.  It  now  received  the  sanction  of  the  matured 
warrior,  and  won  him  the  most  successful  battle  of  the 
island  wars. 

Leaving  a  strong  body  of  canoe-men  and  one  brass 
cannon  to  protect  the  fleet,  the  most  active  preparation 
was  made  for  threading  the  pass.  Young  and  his  men 
were  sent  into  the  gorge  to  plant  his  battery  of  two 
cannon,  so  trained  as  to  sweep  the  pass  ;  while  native 
scouts  were  sent  on  a  few  miles  farther  to  give  early 
warning  should  any  attempt  be  made  at  a  night  attack. 

*  See  the  author's  "  Kalani  of  Oahu  "  for  the  fuller  demonstration  of 
this  bitter  feeling. 


The  Approaching  Armies.  305 

But  Kamehameha  had  not  the  remotest  expectation  of 
this,  for  Kalani  had  not  yet  shown  his  genius  for  war. 

At  the  earliest  approach  of  dawn  Kamehame'ha's  army 
was  put  upon  the  march,  entering  the  Wailuku  Pass  in 
long  attenuated  columns,  best  adapted  to  the  rough  and 
narrow  way.  Keeaumoku's  Giant  Guards  and  Young's 
battery  and  musketeers  took  position  midway  the  long 
line  of  march.  The  sun  was  two  hours  high  when  the 
vanguard  approached  the  vale  of  lao,  and  to  their  sur- 
prise discovered  the  army  of  Maui  winding  down  the 
opposite  pass  of  Oloalu,  with  only  the  green  amphitheatre 
of  lao  separating  the  two  armies.  Each  of  them  had 
hoped  to  steal  a  march  upon  the  other. 

Falling  quickly  back  into  the  forest  before  they  were 
discovered,  the  Hawaiian  chiefs  sent  a  courier  back  to 
the  king,  who  hastened  forward  to  plan  the  contemplated 
battle.  It  was  agreed  to  fall  back  and  keep  hidden  from 
the  enemy  until  the  whole  Maui  army  should  debouch 
into  the  valley,  so  that  if  vanquished,  the  whole  force 
could  be  totally  destroyed  ! 

Ambushing  his  vanguard  in  the  lateral  ravines  and 
dense  forest  overhanging  the  cliffs  of  the  valley,  Kame- 
hameha brought  some  of  his  best  righting  men  to  the 
front,  taking  position  far  enough  back  to  permit  Kalani's 
army  to  pass  the  ambushed  division.  This  division  was 
ordered  not  to  fall  upon  the  enemy's  rear  until  fighting 
should  begin  vigorously  in  front  ;  then,  aided  by  the  sur- 
prise, the  slaughter  was  meant  to  be  severe  and  final. 
Young  took  position  as  the  reserve.  His  infantry  were 
strongly  posted,  and  a  cannon  was  planted  on  each  side 
of  the  pass,  with  which  to  rake  the  enemy  should  the 
Hawaiians  be  compelled  to  retreat. 

The  lynx-eyed  Kamehameha  and  his  chiefs  could  not 


306  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

descry  Kahekili's  yellow  helmet  ;  but  the  tall  red  crest  of 
tropic-bird  plumes  that  Kalani  wore  was  easily  distin- 
guished among  the  great  chiefs.  He  was  marching  some 
distance  from  the  front,  and  near  him  was  the  noted 
fighting  chief  Kapa-Kahili.  Having  passed  the  western 
part  of  the  valley,  the  rugged  roadway  now  led  the 
Maui  army  along  the  verge  of  a  precipice  2,000  feet  high, 
below  which  the  river  lao  runs  roaring  down  its  rocky 
bed,  encumbered  with  gigantic  boulders  fallen  from  the 
cliff  above. 

Between  these  mighty  mountain  peaks  of  Mauna  Eeka, 
on  West  Maui,  lies  hidden  the  remarkable  valley  of  lao.* 
It  is  a  solitude  of  singular,  unearthly  beauty.  An  open 
amphitheatre  enclosed  by  stupendous  pdlis  (precipices), 
whose  precipitous  walls  rise  two  to  three  thousand  feet 
above  the  river  from  which  it  derives  its  name.  This 
valley  can  only  be  reached  by  the  narrow  trail  which 
winds  across  the  mountain  from  Oloalu  on  the  west,  to 
Wailuku  on  the  east.  Threading  this  laborious  footpath 
one  climbs  the  mountain  gorges  ;  now  delving  deep  down 
into  ravines  made  gloomy  with  massive  koa  trees  ;  now 
winding  upward  among  beetling  crags  that  crowd  us 
upon  the  dizzy  verge  of  frightful  precipices,  made  slip- 
pery by  falling  waters  ever  dripping  from  still  higher 
cliffs,  where  the  green  ferns  and  trailing  maiden-hair 
clothes  the  crags  with  verdure. 

Reaching  this  sequestered  vale,  we  stand  awed  and  be- 
wildered by  the  novelty  of  the  scene.  Looking  up  from 
the  deep  defile,  a  delusion  haunts  us  that  we  are  immured 
forever  in  the  donjon  keep  of  some  stupendous  castle  of 
the  gods.  We  search  with  furtive  glances  for  an  appari- 
tion of  the  dread  immortals  whose  haunts  we  have  in- 

*  Pronounced  E-ah-6. 


The  Weird  Surroundings.  307 

vaded.  Vast  rocky  ramparts  and  vine-clad  bastions 
loom  thousands  of  feet  above  our  heads.  We  trace  tur- 
rets and  towers  on  every  hand.  Foliage  and  flowers  of 
supernatural  beauty  are  everywhere  festooned  by  unseen 
hands.  Dim,  fairy  faces  are  seen  peering  down  through 
the  trailing  mists  that  sway  to-and-fro  in  the  varying 
wind-gusts  of  the  upper  world.  Mysterious  mists  !  fall- 
ing from  we  know  not  where,  the  feathery  termination  of 
far  skyward  water-falls,  which  have  poured  valleyward  in 
vain  for  a  thousand  years  ;  cascades  that  end  in  plumy 
vapors,  so  like  the  touch  of  invisible  wings  in  the  air, 
fanning  the  upturned  face  of  the  ghost-scared  mortal  who 
stands  below.  What  wonder  that  one  shudders  with 
supernatural  fears  when  groping  along  the  fern-clad 
bank  of  the  mysterious  river,  looking  apprehensively  to 
see  the  lurking  demons  emerge  from  the  embowered 
caves  in  the  adjacent  cliff,  or  stalk  forth  with  threatening 
mien  from  the  echoing  caverns  of  this  dreadful  vale  ? 

lao  is  a  place  of  eternal  shadows — grim,  gaunt  shadows 
which  take  on  hideous  shapes  of  terror,  that  make  the 
blood  run  cold.  So  deep  is  the  dell,  that  the  tropic  heat 
of  this  torrid  clime  never  ventures  within  ;  neither  the 
warmth  nor  the  cheerful  sunlight  of  the  far  outer-world, 
which  we  see  glinting  upon  the  cloud-capped  peaks,  ever 
reaches  down  to  the  prison  gloom  of  the  gulf  below. 

Such  another  arena  of  battle  for  men  cannot  be  found 
in  all  the  wide  world.  A  weird  place,  most  fit  for  the 
contentions  of  immortals  with  the  demons  of  the  place. 
Yet  here  met  two  great  armies,  led  by  heroic  leaders 
— born  warriors  who  met  and  grappled  to  conquer  or 
die. 

The  vanguard  of  Maui  passed  by  the  ambushed 
Hawaiians,  wholly  unconscious  of  danger,  until  at  length 


308  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

the  main  armies  met  in  the  forest,  announced  by  the  battle 
shouts  as  of  a  thousand  mad  demons.  It  was  a  conten- 
tion of  savage  men  who  hated  each  other  with  savage 
fury  ;  and  the  fighting  soon  became  desperate  on  both 
sides.  Kalani  pressed  boldly  to  the  front  and  urged 
his  men  gallantly  to  their  work.  Once,  for  a  moment, 
he  and  Kamehameha  met  in  a  brief  tussle  for  a  given 
point  which  both  wished  to  secure. 

But  when  the  ambush  fell  suddenly  upon  his  rear,  Ka- 
lani was  disconcerted,  and  hastily  withdrew  to  learn  the 
cause.  The  rear  division  of  the  Maui  army  chanced  to 
be  Kalani's  best  fighters.  At  first  the  ambush  struck 
consternation  among  their  ranks  ;  but  on  account  of  the 
small  space  in  which  a  body  of  men  could  be  hidden 
from  view,  it  was  not  strong  enough  to  accomplish  its  work. 
Kalani's  troops  rallied  and  fell  vigorously  upon  the 
Hawaiians.  They  killed  every  man  of  the  ambush  and 
hustled  them  over  the  precipice,  where  many  of  their  own 
dead  had  been  flung  during  the  first  of  the  attack. 

After  hours  of  desperate  fighting  at  the  front,  Kame'- 
hameha  was  compelled  to  call  up  Keeaumoku  with  his 
gigantic  Guard,  a  thousand  such  men  as  the  island  world 
had  never  seen  before.  The  Maui  army  gave  way  slowly 
and  stubbornly,  well  knowing  the  impassable  pathway 
which  awaited  them  in  the  rear.  Falling  back,  foot  by 
foot,  before  the  furious  onset  of  the  Guard,  at  length  the 
narrow  fighting  fronts  of  the  two  armies  stood  confronted 
on  the  awful  precipice,  down  which  five  hundred  of  their 
number  had  already  been  hurled  into  the  river. 

The  deeds  of  heroism  performed  there  that  day  can 
never  be  told.  Many  of  the  best  warriors  from  both  ar- 
mies fought  on  the  verge  of  that  cliff,  within  spear's 
length  of  the  awful  gulf  beneath,  where,  weakened  by 


Heroic  Deeds.  309 

their  wounds,  one  by  one  they  tottered  and  fell  over  the 
pdli. 

Gigantic  chiefs  sprang  out  from  the  ranks  of  those 
frenzied  men,  brandished  war-clubs,  daggers,  or  javelin 
spears  ;  challenging  all  comers  to  single  combat.  War- 
riors of  such  prestige  in  arms,  such  inconceivable  prow- 
ess in  battle,  that  the  wild  din  of  war  was  hushed  as  by 
a  mandate  to  witness  the  sanguinary  encounter  between 
the  giant  gladiators. 

Cheered  by  the  two  armies,  and  made  battle-mad  with 
slaughter,  these  mighty  heroes  fought.  The  victor 
brained  his  antagonist,  stabbed  or  speared  him,  tore  off 
his  frontlet  as  a  trophy,  with  a  cry  of  "  He  oho  !  "  as  he 
displayed  the  scalp-lock  of  the  foe  ;  then  briefly  took 
breath,  and  with  hoarse  bravado  called  on  for  another 
victim  ;  until  exhausted  or  wounded,  even  the  strongest 
fighter  went  down,  and  in  turn  was  flung  over  the  preci- 
pice after  the  shattered  corpses  who  had  gone  down  be- 
fore. Chief  after  chief  thus  grappled  with  one  another 
in  mortal  combat,  seeking  to  win  fame  in  the  presence  of 
the  two  armies.  They  struggled  and  toiled  on  the 
brink  of  the  frightful  precipice,  and  together  tumbled 
over  the  crimsoned  cliff  to  destruction,  falling  head- 
long downward  through  the  air  as  they  fought  ;  as  con- 
tending eagles  fall  from  their  eyries  with  talons  clenched 
fast  in  each  other's  breast,  and  beaks  rending  each  other's 
plumage. 

Goaded  on  to  like  desperation  by  the  frenzied  combats 
of  their  great  chiefs,  thousands  of  soldiers  met  in  mad 
encounters  ;  thrusting  their  spears  through  each  other's 
bodies,  and  clenching  in  the  death  grapple  on  the  pah's 
brink,  over  which  they  too  plunged  to  a  frightful  doom. 
The  dead  and  wounded,  falling  two  thousand  feet  from 


3io  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

the  battle-field  in  the  sky,  reddened  the  waters  of  lao 
with  a  rain  of  blood,  and  dammed  the  swift  stream  with 
dead  until  it  was  driven  from  its  course. 

Kamehameha  watched  every  move  of  Kalani's  gen- 
erals, noting  their  evolutions  with  coolness,  and  making 
his  counter-moves  with  sagacity  ;  seizing  the  right 
moment  to  press  the  foe  furiously,  or  to  withdraw  his 
own  over-taxed  front  by  a  cunning  feint  of  retreat  ;  or 
enticing  the  enemy  to  rush  blindly  upon  a  yet  stronger 
breastwork  of  spears.  When  the  line  of  battle  wavered  at 
some  strategic  point,  there  Kamehameha  could  be  seen 
rushing  like  a  lion  into  the  thickest  of  the  fray,  his  deep 
voice  reverberating  like  a  thunder-peal.  All  who  came 
within  reach  of  his  huge  war-club  *  were  slain.  Never 
for  a  moment  did  he  lose  his  head  in  the  fascination  of 
slaughter.  The  fate  of  empires  has  often  depended  upon 
the  courage  and  prowess  of  contending  leaders  in  single 
combat.  Such  a  dramatic  episode  was  now  to  occur. 

The  generalissimo  of  the  Maui  army  was  one  of  the 
famous  warriors  of  the  age.  A  herculean  savage,  treach- 
erous and  cruel,  after  Kahekili's  own  heart,  he  had 
twice  the  age  and  experience  of  his  young  rival  of  Hawaii. 
But  he  had  held  aloof  from  personal  encounters,  as  a 
true  general  should  ;  directing  the  continuous  onslaught, 
as  his  army  was  borne  back,  foot  by  foot,  along  the/d/*  V 
verge,  until  his  hopes  of  success  had  one  by  one  gone 
down  with  each  great  chief  who  had  fallen  in  the  front 
of  battle. 

At  this  moment,  in  the  brief  pause  after  Kamehameha 
had  tossed  his  last  combatant  at  the  spear  point  over  the 

liy  the  young  king  caught  the  look  of  doubt  and  despair 


*  The  laau  palau  ;  a  sort  of  halberd,  used  either  to  strike  or  thrust 
with. 


Kalams  Defeat.  3 1 1 

on  the  war-worn  face  of  Kapa-Kahili,  and  with  an  im- 
pulse of  pity,  he  challenged  the  gigantic  warrior  to  single 
combat. 

With  a  shout  of  savage  joy  the  great  chief  accepted 
the  challenge.  The  two  warriors  stood  confronting  each 
other  in  the  presence  of  the  war-worn  armies,  and  the 
thousands  of  women  and  children  who  clung  to  the  crags 
high  above  the  battle-field. 

It  was  a  sight  above  all  others  to  rejoice  the  hearts  of 
bloodthirsty  men.  Both  chiefs  were  colossal  in  stature, 
and  cunning  in  fence.  At  a  signal  from  Keeaumoku, 
they  hurled  themselves  upon  each  other.  The  ponderous 
blows  of  their  great  war  clubs  were  given  with  terrific 
force  and  murderous  intent. 

The  battle  was  long  and  fierce,  for  the  skill  of  both 
was  unequalled.  But  at  last  the  endurance  of  the  old 
warrior  wavered,  and  he  was  crushed  down  by  a  blow  he 
had  failed  to  parry. 

Though  the  king  took  his  scalp  lock,  as  a  memento  of 
the  day,  he  ordered  the  corpse  of  the  noble  alii  to  be  sac- 
rificed with  honor  at  the  heidu  of  Wailuku,  and  fell  back 
to  let  his  warriors  rush  in,  and  follow  the  example  he  had 
set. 

At  the  fall  of  Kapa-Kahili,  the  Maui  army  became 
panic-stricken.  The  destruction  of  their  chiefs  and  best 
fighting  men  had  half  crushed  them.  On  the  loss  of 
their  commander  the  headless  divisions  broke  and  took 
wing  like  terrified  birds. 

Retreating  pell-mell  at  first  from  the  rear,  fast  as  the 
narrow  footpath  would  permit,  the  panic  soon  became 
general ;  the  cry  of  "  Luka  lua  !  Luka  lua  !  (Beaten  ! 
Beaten  !)  rang  through  the  disorganized  masses,  closely 
huddled  like  terrified  sheep  between  a  precipice  and  a 


312  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

vertical  cliff.  So  hard  pressed  were  the  troops  of  the 
broken  vanguard  that,  driven  at  the  spear  point,  they 
were  at  length  compelled  to  climb  the  steep  crags  above 
the /#'//,  where  only  birds  could  cling  ;  or  were  hustled 
in  legions  over  the  precipice,  to  fall  upon  the  dead 
below. 

Some  brave  souls  turned  upon  their  pursuers,  grappled 
and  fought  until  they  died.  One  gigantic  athlete,  named 
Kaano,  famed  as  the  brutal pepehi,  or  man-killer  of  Kalo, 
the  chief  of  a  cannibal  horde  at  Hale-manu,  Oahu,  thus 
turned  upon  his  assailants.  Goaded  by  spear  thrusts  to 
the  maniacal  frenzy  of  despair,  he  grappled  and  flung 
one  after  another  of  his  armed  pursuers  over  the/07/.  At 
length  his  wife's  brother,  Kahole,  sprang  forth  to  meet 
the  giant  wrestler.  It  was  a  long-sought  revenge  ;  for 
Kaano  had  murdered  his  wife's  whole  family  as  victims 
for  his  cannibal  feasts.  They  clenched  in  the  death 
struggle,  and  together  rolled  over  the  precipice.  In  the 
fall,  Kaano's  huge  neck  caught  in  the  fork  of  a  tree, 
snapping  off  his  head  in  a  twinkling.  Thus  the  two 
athletes  were  found  dead  below,  Kahole  still  clenched 
fast  to  the  headless  trunk  of  the  murderer  of  his  family. 
A  smile  of  revengeful  satisfaction  illumined  his  dead 
face.* 

Seeing  that  his  whole  army  was  shattered  and  disor- 
ganized, Kalani  fled  in  grief  and  shame  through  the 
Oloalu  Pass,  in  company  with  a  few  chiefs  and  the  bro- 
ken remnant  of  his  rear-guard.  Taking  canoes  at 
Lahaina,  he  hastened  to  bear  the  disastrous  news  to 
Kahekili,  and  admonish  his  stern  father  to  prepare  for 

*  See  Dibble's  "History,"  p.  135,  for  a  full  account  of  Kaano- 
keewe,  the  man-killer,  who  for  years  furnished  dead  men  for  Kalo,  his 
cannibal  chief.  The  big  stone  platter  where  the  dead  were  carved  can 
still  be  seen. 


The  Sky-Fought  Battle.  3 1 3 

the  defence  of  Oahu  against  the  coming  of  such  a 
fighter  as  the  world  had  not  before  seen. 

When  Kamehameha  saw  that  the  Maui  army  was 
beaten,  crushed  beyond  power  of  further  resistance,  he 
called  off  the  Giant  Guard,  for  they  were  too  choice  sol- 
diers to  be  sent  chasing  fugitives,  and  embraced  Keeau- 
moku  for  the  heroic  task  he  had  accomplished  in  winning 
this  sky-fought  battle. 

Fresh  swarms  of  inferior  men,  but  under  able  leaders, 
hastened  forward  to  hunt  down  every  soldier  of  the  de- 
feated army,  for  were  not  they  the  cannibal  monsters 
who  had  eaten  the  brave  Hawaiian  garrison  treacher- 
ously captured  at  Kauwiki  ?  While  these  orders  were 
being  executed  with  relentless  justice,  Kamehameha 
stood  on  the  verge  of  the/rf//  in  rapt  contemplation  of 
his  surroundings. 

Grand  and  awful  was  the  vision  of  scenic  beauty 
which  met  the  gaze  of  the  brooding  king  as  he  looked 
thoughtfully  down  upon  the  weird,  wild  valley  of  lao, 
lying  hushed  in  sunset  gloom  and  funereal  awe  after  the 
dreadful  din  of  battle. 

Everywhere  green  with  rankest  verdure,  and  drenched 
by  the  ever- falling  mist  from  the  mountain  water-falls, 
the  very  rocks  and  cliffs  and  pdli  walls  were  festooned 
with  blossoming  vines,  trailing  ferns,  and  flowering 
maiden-hair. 

From  out  the  dusky  ravine  beneath  Kamehameha 
there  rose  a  vast  natural  mausoleum,  as  if  reared  by  the 
gods  to  commemorate  the  new-fallen  dead,  a  stupendous 
tower  of  hard  gray  trachyte  rock,  rising  like  a  spindling 
minaret  a  thousand  feet  high.  So  slender  and  tall  is 
this  shaft  of  stone  that  one  stands  aghast  while  beside  it, 
looking  to  see  it  topple  and  fall  with  every  rude  gust 
that  bursts,  from  out  the  dismal  gorges. 


314  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

Most  horrible  was  the  sight  that  met  the  eye  of  the  king 
where  lay  the  mangled  corpses  of  the  battle,  heaped  into 
one  vast  Golgotha.  Dead  friends  and  foes  so  dammed 
up  the  the  blood-red  waters  of  the  lao  that  the  stream 
heaved  and  tossed  the  dead  warriors  in  mocking  bur- 
lesque of  battle.  Some  were  still  clenched  in  the  death 
grapple,  and  yet  rolled  and  wrestled  in  the  boiling  flood 
in  awful  mimicry  of  their  recent  combat  in  life. 

Not  only  was  the  eye  assailed,  but  the  ear  of  the 
brooding  king  was  invaded  by  discordant  sounds  that 
harrowed  the  soul.  Clouds  of  fish  hawks  and  mountain 
eagles  had  already  swooped  down  over  the  valley,  impa- 
tient to  gorge  themselves  upon  the  dead.  Their  piercing 
cries  mingled  with  dreadful  shrieks  from  the  Oloalu  Pass 
and  the  adjacent  cliffs,  where  the  brutal  pursuers  over- 
took the  pursued,  and  made  answer  to  their  piteous  cries 
by  strong  spear  thrusts.  Hateful  above  all  human  plead- 
ings to  a  soldier  is  the  cry  of  a  vanquished  coward 
who  had  paraded  his  glory  above  what  was  meet.  Such 
men  were  never  moulded  for  murderous  warfare  on  a 
pdlfs  verge.  They  crouched  like  whipped  curs,  and 
howled  one  last  long  appeal  of  despair. 

Other  sounds  there  were  that  might  well  arouse  one's 
fears  by  their  delusive  cries,  heard  in  the  deepening 
gloom  of  such  a  place.  Hoarse  muffled  voices  bur- 
lesqued the  challenges  of  the  dead  warriors.  Mocking 
leers  and  derisive  laughter,  coming  from  we  know  not 
where,  echoed  and  re-echoed  over  the  ravine,  as  they  will 
echo  still  for  ages,  calling  forth  and  back  from  crag  to 
cliff  forever, — supernatural  creatures  !  before  whom  the 
battle  was  fought,  who  gloat  over  the  strife  of  men,  and 
still  gather  in  legions  in  their  native  haunt  when  the  set- 
ting sun  deepens  the  cathedral  gloom  of  the  sepulchral 
valley  where  fought  the  mighty  and  fell  the  brave. 


XXXVI. 

BRILLIANT    NAVAL    VICTORY    OF    KOHALA. 

THE  battle  fought  in  the  vale  of  the  lao  gave  to 
Kamehame'ha  immediate  possession,  not  only  of 
Maui,  but.  of  Molokai  and  Lanai  as  well.  After  con- 
firming his  conquest  of  Maui  the  king  divided  his  army 
and  took  canoes  to  secure  the  strategic  places  on  the 
two  latter  islands. 

While  tarrying  among  his  new  kingdoms  for  the 
purpose  of  distributing  his  newly  acquired  possessions 
among  his  dependent  chiefs,  Kamehameha  took  occasion 
to  send  an  insulting  challenge  of  battle  to  Kahekili,  at 
Oahu,  with  hopes  of  drawing  him  into  an  engagement  at 
Molokai.  The  following  message  was  borne  to  him  by  a 
courier  : 

"  Kamehame'ha,  king  of  all  the  Windward  Islands,  to 
Kahekili  of  Oahu.  Send  your  best  ulumaika  to  your 
superior  at  Molokai."  (A  sort  of  bowling-stone  used  in 
games  of  chance.) 

To  this  Kahekili  replied,  smothering  his  towering  rage, 
partly  in  defiance,  but  more  in  his  oft-repeated  moan 
about  death,  for  he  seemed  to  believe  from  the  first  that 
Kamehameha  was  god-born  and  ever  under  the  protec- 
tion of  Pele  : 

"  My  son  !  I  am  the  only  ulumaika  by  which  you  can 
sweep  the  whole  track.  Wait  until  the  black  tapa  covers 
me,  then  Oahu  shall  be  yours." 


316  Kamehameha  the  Great. 

Fortunately,  perhaps,  for  the  fame  of  Kame'hameha,  he 
did  not  succeed  in  extending  his  war  of  conquest  at  that 
time,  for,  by  the  delay,  his  final  battles  took  place  under 
more  favorable  conditions,  and  word  was  soon  brought 
that  disastrous  fighting  was  going  on  at  Hawaii. 

Keoiia  had  quarrelled  with  Keawe,  engaged  in  war, 
and  slain  the  friendly  Hilo  king.  Elated  with  his  suc- 
cess, the  infatuated  Keoiia  determined  to  invade  Kame- 
hameha's  kingdom  during  his  absence.  Marching  to  the 
fruitful  valley  of  Waipio,  he  cruelly  destroyed  every  ves- 
tige of  fruit  and  growing  food,  including  food  plants 
which  required  years  to  mature  ;  and  committed  wanton 
outrage  upon  property,  killing  old  men,  women,  and 
innocent  children. 

On  hearing  of  these  outrages,  Kamehameha  sailed  at 
once  with  his  whole  force  for  Kawaihae.  Keoiia  and  his 
army  were  glorifying  over  their  conquest  at  Waimea, 
some  twelve  miles  inland.  Discovering  the  fleet  from 
his  elevated  camp,  Keoiia  hastily  marshalled  his  army 
and  marched  down  toward  Paahau.  He  did  not  try  to 
prevent  the  landing  of  Kamehameha,  who  disembarked 
and  hastened  inland  to  meet  the  invader.  The  two 
armies  met  and  joined  in  battle  on  the  uplands,  when 
Keoiia,  after  a  brief  engagement,  finding  his  forces  too 
hard  pressed,  manoeuvred  to  withdraw,  and  retreated 
over  Kohala  Mountain  in  the  direction  of  Hilo,  camping 
for  the  night  at  a  place  called  Koapapa. 

This  event  gave  an  auspicious  opportunity  for  Kame- 
hameha to  display  his  generalship.  Hastening  his  army 
over  the  mountain  by  a  flank  movement,  by  a  shorter 
route  that  he  had  discovered  years  ago  when  as  a  boy  he 
mapped  out  his  future  campaigns,  Kamehameha  in- 
tercepted' the  retreating  army  of  Keoiia.  A  fierce  and 


Battle  with  Keotia.  317 

bloody  battle  took  place.  "  Lopaka,"  the  only  one  of 
Young's  pet  cannon  which  had  yet  been  brought  into 
action,  made  such  havoc  among  Keoua's  ranks  that  his 
ablest  general,  Kaiaiea,  made  a  desperate  assault  and 
captured  the  dreadful  gun  ;  though  it  was  of  no  use  to 
them,  as  they  knew  not  how  to  serve  it.  The  king  led  a 
brilliant  charge  and  recaptured  the  gun,  with  frightful 
carnage  on  both  sides. 

Kamehameha's  front  ranks,  wearied  by  their  rapid 
march,  were  now  completely  overtaxed  by  the  stubborn 
resistance  of  Keoua,  and  soon  gave  way  and  were  routed. 
The  battle  seemed  lost.  Keoua  pushed  his  advantage  to 
the  utmost,  little  knowing  the  fertile  resources  of  him 
whom  he  fought. 

Young,  with  his  well-armed  reserve  of  foreigners  and 
native  musketeers,  was  always  in  position  for  just  such  a 
crisis.  As  the  routed  army  swept  by  the  phalanx  of  mus- 
keteers, and  reformed  in  their  rear,  the  onset  of  Keoua 
was  met  by  a  deadly  volley  of  muskets  at  short  range. 
Appalled  at  the  havoc  made  by  the  bullets  and  terrified 
by  the  unaccustomed  noise,  the  enemy  wavered,  halted, 
let  fly  their  spears  at  random,  and  fled.  The  tide  of 
battle  was  turned  into  a  slaughter.  Keoua  and  the  rem- 
nant of  his  army  fled  to  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  Hilo, 
broken  in  strength  and  humbled  in  pride. 

Kamehameha  now  took  up  his  residence  at  Kawaihae  ; 
Waipio,  the  king's  valley,  having  been  desolated.  The 
army  was  distributed  in  camps  over  the  fruitful  district 
of  Kohala  ;  and  active  preparations  were  made  to  finish 
the  war  with  Keoua  before  renewing  the  conquest  of  the 
Leeward  Islands. 

At  this  time  Hewahewa  the  high-priest  and  other  influ- 
ential kaMnas  asked  Kame'hame'ha  to'  build  a  massive 


318  Kam/kam£k&  the  Great. 

heidu  to  Pele,  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of  the  goddess, 
that  religious  observance  and  strict  tabils  should  follow 
all  successful  wars.  While  Kame"hameha  hesitated  about 
delaying  his  conquests  to  forward  the  affairs  of  the 
church,  Keao,  King  of  Kauai,  becoming  alarmed  at  the 
growing  power  of  the  "  Conqueror,"  as  Kamehameha  was 
now  called,  hastily  collected  a  well-armed  fleet  and  sailed 
to  Oahu,  where  he  aroused  Kahekili  to  the  certain  danger 
awaiting  them  all. 

Uniting  their  fleets,  the  most  formidable  armament  of 
these  warlike  times,  they  sailed  for  Hawaii  full  of  proud 
hopes.  Among  the  novel  means  of  warfare  adopted  by 
this  army  of  invasion  was  a  pack  of  fierce  bull-dogs, 
trained  to  attack  men  with  wolfish  ferocity.  Much  was 
expected  from  them.  Kahekili's  gigantic  dog  was  named 
Boki,  derived  from  the  foreign  name  "  Bose."  * 

Landing  at  Waipio,  the  two  kings  found  means  of  de- 
stroying property  by  cutting  down  more  fruit-trees,  after 
their  usual  wanton  methods  of  warfare. 

The  first  Hawaiian  to  escape  from  the  valley  hastened 
overland  to  Kawaihae  to  inform  the  king.  Collecting  a 
canoe  force  with  the  utmost  dispatch,  Kamehameha  fol- 
lowed along  the  coast  of  Kohala  to  meet  the  invaders. 
The  three  brass  swivel-guns  were  mounted  on  three  of 
the  largest  double  canoes,  in  charge  of  Young,  Davis, 
and  other  well-tried  foreigners.  The  cannon  were  well 
supported  by  the  company  of  musketeers  ;  while  Kame- 
hameha and  his  most  warlike  chiefs  centred  about  this 
nucleus  of  foreigners,  knowing  that  in  a  sea-battle  of 
this  kind  every  thing  depended  upon  their  courage  and 
skill. 

Keeping  to  the  calm  waters  of  Kohala  so  that  the  can- 

*  From  this  dog  the  famous  chief,  Boki  of  Oahu,  was  named. 


The  Red-Mouthed  Gun.  3 19 

non  could  be  brought  into  most  effective  use,  Kame"- 
hameha's  flotilla  of  canoes  was  soon  met  by  the  magnifi- 
cent fleet  of  Kahekili  and  Keao,  which  came  bowling 
around  Waimanu  Point,  numbering  ten  to  one  of  the 
Hawaiians. 

Great  was  the  surprise  of  the  two  vain-glorious  kings 
to  see  the  fearless  advance  of  Kamehameha's  diminutive 
fleet  as  the  two  navies  met  off  Waimanu  Valley  near  the 
great  pdli  of  Hilaana.  It  was  agreed  between  the  in- 
vaders that  the  utter  annihilation  of  such  an  insignificant 
navy  would  be  insufficient  to  wipe  out  the  deep  disgrace 
of  "  lao." 

But  when  the  Hawaiian  navy  got  fairly  into  action  at 
short  range,  and  the  cannon  and  musketry  were  brought 
into  full  play,  the  result  was  manifest  at  once.  The  for- 
eigners did  most  marvellous  execution,  striking  terror  to 
the  invading  fleet,  and  filling  the  hearts  of  the  arrogant 
kings  with  such  consternation  that  they  set  the  example 
of  retreat.  At  once  the  combined  fleets  of  two  nations 
were  scattered  in  wild  confusion.*  While  the  canoes 
bearing  the  two  vanquished  kings  fled  in  dismay  across 
the  Upolu  Sea,  many  of  their  fleet  were  sunk  or  captured 
during  the  brief  but  brilliant  engagement.  This  naval 
battle  was  called  Ka-pu-waha-ula,  the  war  of  "  the  red- 
mouthed  gun." 

On  their  arrival  at  Maui,  Kahekili,  now  greatly  dis- 
pirited by  events,  bestowed  that  kingdom  upon  Keao. 
He  and  his  followers  hastened  on  to  Oahu,  full  of  super- 
stitious fear  that  the  dread  Conqueror  was  following 
upon  their  track,  and  glad  to  place  his  younger  brother, 
who  was  less  depressed,  between  Kamehameha  and 
Oahu. 

*  Kahekili  had  au  Italian  named  Marc  •  ,  with  some  sort  df 
gun. 


320  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

Soon  after  these  events  Kahekili  died  from  sorrow  and 
shame  at  the  disastrous  termination  of  his  naval  expedi- 
tion. He  left  his  kingdom  to  Kalani.  This  young  hero 
took  fresh  hope  and  at  once  began  to  re-organize  the 
broken  army,  courageous  to  the  last,  though  in  daily  ex- 
pectation of  the  Conqueror's  following  up  his  naval  vic- 
tory. And  thus  ended  Kamehameha's  fourth  campaign. 


,  XXXVII. 

i 

THE    TRAGEDY    OF    KEOtJA    AND    HIS    ARMY. 

T7*  AMEHAMEHA  had  good  cause  to  be  elated 
£^^  after  his  three  last  brilliant  victories,  battles 
fought  with  such  renowned  commanders  and  their  differ- 
ent armies.  But  his  religious  convictions  were  now  too 
fully  aroused  to  go  on  with  his  conquest  until  some 
monumental  work  should  be  built  in  commemoration  of 
Pele's  love  for  her  worshippers. 

Hewahewa  had  seriously  impressed  the  king  with  the 
necessity  of  building  a  great  heidu  and  making  a  human 
sacrifice  of  unusual  magnitude  to  Pele,  lest  the  dread 
goddess  should  forsake  his  cause  for  lack  of  religious 
zeal,  before  his  final  conquests  were  accomplished.* 
Ten  thousand  men  were  therefore  set  to  gathering  mate- 
rial, while  the  skilled  workmen  among  them  erected  the 
massive  temple  to  be  called  Puukohala. 

This  famous  temple  was  built  on  an  eminence  over- 
looking the  sea,  a  barren  hill  in  the  southern  part  of 
Kawaihae  Bay.  It  was  a  massive  structure  of  stone  laid 

*  This  was  in  accordance  with  a  previous  prophecy,  for  when 
Kamehameha  sent  his  challenge  to  Kahekili  from  Molokai,  he  also 
sent  the  venerable  chiefess  Hoaloa  (Namahana's  mother)  to  solicit  a 
prophecy  about  his  conquest  from  the  aged  priest  Kapoukahi.  The 
•wanana  advised  building  a  great  heidu  to  Pele,  and  predicted  Kame- 
hame'ha's  supreme  rule  over  Hawaii. — "  Polynesian  Races,"  vol.  II., 
p.  240. 

321 


322  Kam/hamJha  the  Great. 

without  mortar,  2  24  feet  long  by  TOO  feet  wide,  having  walls 
20  feet  high  on  the  three  land  sides,  while  along  the  cliff 
next  the  bay  the  sea-wall  was  eight  feet  high  and  six  feet 
thick  at  the  top,  where  it  was  paved  with  smooth  flat 
stones,  making  a  promenade  for  the  priests  and  chiefs. 
The  entrance  to  Puukohala  was  prison-like  ;  it  was  a 
long,  narrow  passage  between  high  walls,  easily  defensible 
by  a  few  resolute  men.  Here  the  man-killers  dragged 
their  victims  to  the  altar. 

The  high  upper  terrace  in  the  middle  of  the  temple 
was  also  paved  with  smooth  stones  brought  from  a  dis- 
tance. At  the  southern  end  of  the  terrace,  within  an 
open  court,  was  erected  the  anu  or  holy-of-holies,  a  lofty 
obelisk  of  open  wicker-work,  five  feet  square  at  the  base. 
Within  the  anu  was  kept  the  national  idol,  Kaili,  the 
king's  favorite  war-god,  while  numerous  other  great 
wooden  idols  of  hideous  aspect  were  placed  in  the  sacred 
court. 

Kaili  was  carried  to  the  battle-fields  by  Hewahewa 
and  his  attendant  kahtinas  as  the  divinity  held  most 
sacred  by  all.  This  idol  was  an  image  about  five  feet 
high,  made  mostly  of  wicker-work  closely  covered  with 
red  feathers.  Its  face  was  of  hideous  expression,  to  ter- 
rify the  enemy  ;  the  mouth  was  adorned  with  triple  rows 
of  shark's  teeth  ;  great  eyes  of  mother-of-pearl  glared 
in  their  sockets  ;  the  head  was  crowned  with  a  lofty  hel- 
met of  great  beauty.  Its  crest  was  formed  of  long  black 
tresses  of  human  hair,  among  which  were  locks  taken 
from  the  head  of  Captain  Cook,  and  held  as  the  most 
sacred  of  all. 

Within  the  anu  the  high-priest  immured  himself  when 
seeking  wisdom  from  the  gods,  while  without,  round 
about  the  court,  stood  the  king  and  great  chiefs  soliciting 


Human  Sacrifices.  323 

oracular  utterances  upon  great  events  ;  to  which  ques- 
tions the  wise  Kahtina,  inspired  like  the  weird  sibyls  of 
the  classic  ages,  answered  directly,  though  with  sufficient 
ambiguity  to  puzzle  all  who  were  not  imbued  with  sacer- 
dotal craftiness. 

Just  without  the  sacred  court  stood  the  sacrificial  altar 
where  human  sacrifices  were  offered  to  the  gods.  On  the 
day  that  Kaili  was  placed  in  the  anu  eleven  human  vic- 
tims were  immolated  to  the  god,  together  with  hundreds 
of  hogs  and  dogs,  sacrificed  upon  an  altar  at  the  opposite 
end  of  the  heidu.  On  that  day  the  place  was  a  pande- 
monium too  dreadful  to  be  described. 

During  these  days  of  sacrifice,  and  during  all  strict 
taM  periods,  the  king  remained  in  his  own  sacred  house 
in  the  middle  of  the  terrace.  The  houses  of  the  priests 
were  at  the  north  end  of  the  terrace,  where  the  venerable 
Pepehi23\&  other  famous  visiting  kahiinas  were  entertained 
during  the  service  of  consecration.  None  but  priests  and 
sacred  chiefs  were  ever  allowed  upon  the  terrace. 

During  the  long  and  laborious  task  of  building  the 
heidu,  the  war-chiefs  about  the  court  organized  and 
drilled  a  new  army  for  coming  days  of  conquest.  The 
foreign  war  being  thus  necessarily  delayed,  an  army  of 
the  untried  soldiers  was  sent  to  battle  with  Keoua,  rather 
with  a  view  to  test  their  quality  than  with  a  hope  of 
breaking  up  that  troublesome  kingdom  among  the  moun- 
tain fastnesses  of  Kau.  Kaiana  and  his  warlike  brother 
Namakeha  were  given  command  of  the  expedition. 
Keoua  was  at  Hilo  when  he  was  informed  of  the  invasion 
of  Kau.  At  once  he  set  out  with  his  army  toward  the 
scene  of  action,  taking  the  overland  route  that  leads  past 
the  great  active  crater  of  Kilauea,  near  which  they  camped 
for  the  night. 


324  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

The  volcano  was  comparatively  quiescent  at  the  time, 
and  the  night  was  calm  and  cloudless.  As  if  in  idle 
derision  at  the  general  superstitions  about  the  fiery  home 
of  the  goddess,  some  irreverent  chiefs  amused  themselves 
casting  stones  down  upon  the  smouldering  lava-sea.  This 
heinous  insult  to  Pele  could  not  pass  unreproved. 

In  a  recent  interview  with  the  dread  goddess,  Pele  had 
promised  Kamehameha  that  Hawaii  should  soon  be  freed 
of  his  enemies  ;  but  as  yet  none  knew  what  form  her 
malediction  would  take.  It  was,  however,  in  furtherance 
of  the  divine  decree,  "  Whom  the  gods  would  destroy 
they  first  make  mad,"  that  the  chiefs  were  induced  to 
invade  the  tabti  grounds  and  cast  stones  into  Pele's  palace 
of  fire. 

During  that  eventful  night  Keoua's  fated  army  lay  in 
peaceful  slumbers,  when  suddenly  the  volcano  burst 
forth  into  terrific  eruption.  It  threw  up  large  stones  to  a 
great  height.  Fountains  of  red  lava  leaped  into  the  sky, 
and  blue  flames  made  the  midnight  lurid  with  ghastly 
glare.  Shrieks  and  groans  were  heard  ;  and  loud  detona- 
tions that  shook  the  earth.  It  was  such  a  night  of  terror, 
that  in  the  morning  Keoiia  and  his  chiefs  were  afraid  to 
march,  lest  the  offended  goddess  should  destroy  them 
for  the  impious  acts  of  the  previous  day.  They  thus 
spent  the  day  in  penitence  and  prayer,  while  the  priests 
offered  sacrifices  in  hope  of  appeasing  the  angry  deity. 
But  the  second  and  third  nights  were  as  full  of  horror  as 
the  first,  which  filled  both  the  priests  and  the  chiefs  with 
perplexity.  When  the  third  day  dawned  bright  and 
beautiful,  the  king  ventured  to  order  an  advance,  the 
army  marching  in  three  divisions  along  adjacent  paths 
leading  toward  Kau. 

The  first  division  had  not  gone  far  before  a  terrific 


The  Suffocated  A  rmy.  325 

earthquake  occurred,  accompanied  by  an  astounding 
noise  exceeding  the  loudest  thunder.  The  surrounding 
surface  rose  and  fell  ;  the  rocky  ground  was  torn  into 
awful  chasms  that  yawned  among  them  ;  hundreds  of 
men  disappeared,  with  frenzied  screams,  where  they 
stood.  The  whole  mountain  shook  and  shivered  as  with 
ague,  rocking  to  and  fro  like  a  ship  in  a  tempest.  The 
terrified  soldiers  reeled  as  if  drunk  with  awa,  staggered 
and  fell  to  the  earth.  The  ground  heaved  beneath  them 
like  ocean  billows.  Bottomless  fissures  multiplied  on 
every  hand,  threatening  to  engulf  all  who  tarried,  and 
yet  locomotion  was  denied  them,  for  they  were  hurled 
to  the  ground  by  the  awful  earthquake  shocks  as  fast  as 
they  could  rise. 

A  new  volcanic  eruption  now  took  place.  Dense 
clouds  of  black  sand  and  burning  cinders  were  hurled 
aloft  from  the  crater,  until  the  sunlit  day  was  excluded, 
and  the  darkness  of  midnight  mantled  the  earth.  The 
darkness  was  made  more  terrifying  by  the  lurid  glare  of 
jetting  lava  and  the  flashing  blue  flame  of  burning  gases. 
The  soldiers  of  the  first  division  were  now  scorched  to 
death  by  the  hot  cinders,  or  suffocated  by  the  sulphurous 
fumes  that  poured  upward  from  the  earthquake  chasms. 
These  stupendous  phenomena  produced  such  electric 
effects  that  a  furious  thunder-storm  broke  from  a  cloud- 
less sky.  The  lightning  ploughed  up  the  earth,  rent  the 
rocks,  and  splintered  the  trees.  Several  chieftains  were 
torn  to  pieces  by  these  awful  bolts. 

The  rear  party,  which  remained  at  the  crater  with  the 
priests  and  king,  offering  their  last  supplications  to  Pele, 
had  experienced  similar  earthquake  shocks  and  electric 
storms  ;  but  the  shower  of  hot  sand  and  burning  cinders 
passed  over  their  heads  and  not  one  of  their  number  was 
killed. 


326  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

When  the  awful  tumult  was  over,  and  the  day  became 
bright  and  clear,  the  men  of  this  division  sprang  up  and 
resumed  their  march,  dazed  with  terror  at  the  infernal 
scenes  they  had  beheld.  Rejoiced  at  their  escape  from 
death,  and  supposing  that  they  alone  had  been  exposed 
to  peril,  they  pressed  rapidly  forward  to  overtake  their 
companions. 

They  were  soon  confronted  by  an  appalling  sight  ! 
Every  man  of  the  second  or  middle  division  lay  dead 
upon  the  volcanic  plain.  Out  of  four  hundred  human 
beings  not  one  was  alive.*  Some  lay  as  if  asleep  ;  others 
seemed  reclining  at  their  ease,  as  if  musing  over  the  recent 
wonderful  phenomena.  No  look  of  terror  could  be  traced 
on  their  faces.  Other  warriors  were  sitting  up,  as  if 
soothing  their  wives  or  children  in  loving  embraces,  while 
they  exchanged  the  national  salutation  with  face  pressed  to 
face  of  their  darlings.  Some  appeared  so  lifelike,  so  un- 
concerned at  what  had  happened,  that  they  had  to  be 
touched  before  the  mocking  delusion  of  life  was  broken. 
But  in  all  that  division  of  armed  men  not  one  was  left  to 
tell  the  tale.  The  only  living  creature  that  survived  the 
sulphurous  gases  and  hot  cinders  was  a  solitary  hog, 
found  rooting  affectionately  among  the  dead,  and  striving 
to  awaken  his  companions  from  their  seeming  travesty  of 
death.f 

So  appalled  were  Keoiia  and  his  men  that  they  stayed 
not  an  instant  to  bewail  the  dead,  but  hastened  on  until 
they  overtook  the  forward  division,  many  of  whom  also 
had  been  killed. 

It  required  several  days'  rest  in  camp  before"  Keoua 
and  his  chiefs  could  gain  courage  to  join  in  battle  with 
Kaiana's  army,  which  had  impatiently  awaited  his  com- 

*  Jarves'  "  History,"  p.  146.  f  Dibble's  "  History,"  p.  6$. 


Keotia's  Terror.  327 

ing  at  Kau.  Though  they  skirmished  and  fought  for 
several  days,  and  won  a  final  battle  that  was  worthy  of 
Keoiia's  renown,  yet  so  disheartened  was  the  brave  king 
by  his  superstitions,  and  especially  by  his  belief  that  Pele 
had  forsaken  him  for  his  rival,  that  in  the  end  he  was 
unsuccessful,  and  prepared  to  retreat  to  the  mountain 
fastnesses. 

These  equally  ambitious  kings  had  contended  for  nine 
years  for  the  supremacy  of  Hawaii.  While  the  one  was 
yearly  augmenting  his  resources,  his  rival  was  weakened 
by  every  battle.  But  aside  from  the  discouragement  of 
a  never-ending  war,  Keoiia  was  now  convinced  that  Pele 
had  doomed  him  to  destruction  ;  and  he  resolved  to 
yield  to  his  fate  with  dignity  becoming  his  royal  rank  and 
military  renown. 

One  night,  in  the  interval  of  battles,  two  noble  chiefs 
appeared  before  his  camp  bearing  ki  leaves  in  their 
hands.  They  were  Keawe-a-heulu  and  Kamanawa, 
two  of  Kamehameha's  principal  councillors.  They  ap- 
proached the  enclosure  about  the  royal  hale,  where  they 
lay  prostrate,  waiting  permission  to  enter,  according  to 
the  usual  etiquette  of  the  times. 

Kaieiea  informed  the  king  that  Kamehameha's  ambassa- 
dors were  without  and  asked  permission  to  kill  them,  as  they 
were  two  of  the  wisest  and  most  cunning  of  their  enemies. 
But  Keoua  refused,  saying  that  Keawe  was  a  near  relative 
of  his  father's,  and  bade  his  general  ask  them  to  enter. 
When  admitted,  the  two  chiefs  performed  "  Kokolo"  by 
crawling  up  to  Keoua  and  embracing  his  feet,  uttering  a 
piteous  tale  of  woe. 

"  Why  are  you  here  ?  "  asked  the  king. 

"  We  come  to  the  son  of  our  late  lord  to  induce  him  to 
be  reconciled  with  Kame'hame'ha,  that  you  two  noble 
kings  may  rule  in  peace  together." 


328  Kant/kamJha  the  Great. 

"  Perhaps  I  may  agree  to  it.  To-morrow  I  will  decide. 
Is  this  the  true  wish  of  Kamehameha  ?  " 

"  It  is  indeed  the  dearest  wish  of  our  noble  king." 

"  Go,  eat,  and  rest.  We  shall  march  to  the  mountain, 
and  there  hold  council  with  our  chiefs." 

The  chiefs  did  not  find  it  hard  to  impress  Keoua's 
mind  with  Pele's  enmity  to  himself,  and  the  deity's  well- 
proved  love  for  Kamehameha. 

Retreating  to  Hilo,  while  he  was  deciding  upon  his 
future  conduct,  Keoua  returned  to  the  scene  of  the  dis- 
aster. His  dead  warriors  still  lay  in  mocking  attitudes 
of  life,  untouched  by  other  marks  of  decay  than  hollow 
cheeks  and  sunken  eyes.  In  mortal  fear  of  again  anger- 
ing Pele  the  bodies  were  left  unburied,  almost  unmourned. 
Forty  years  after  their  bones  were  still  seen  bleaching  in 
the  torrid  sun. 

This  awful  dispensation  of  the  gods  so  dispirited  the 
brave  Keoua  and  his  chiefs,  in  council,  that  they  con- 
cluded to  disband  the  army  and  surrender  to  the 
clemency  of  Kamehameha.  Returning  to  Kau  with  his 
principal  warriors,  Keoua  and  Pauli,  his  brother,  obtained 
permission  to  pass  through  Kaiana's  lines,  when  they 
embarked  in  canoes.  Coasting  around  South  Point  and 
along  the  west  coast  toward  Kawaihae,  where  Kame- 
hameha and  his  great  war-chiefs  were  encamped,  Keoua 
took  the  precaution  to  send  a  message  in  advance  ;  and 
he  again  received  solemn  assurance  of  present  safety  and 
future  protection,  the  generous  amnesty  purporting  to 
come  from  the  king  himself. 

During  the  voyage  to  Kawaihae,  it  seemed  to  his 
mournful  followers  as  if  Keoiia  really  trusted  the  smooth 
speeches  of  Kamehame'ha's  treacherous  ambassadors. 
But  his  motives  and  his  thoughts  can  only  be  guessed  ; 


The  Shadow  of  Death.  329 

for  in  marked  contradiction  to  such  an  implied  trust,  on 
that  fatal  morning  Keoiia  bathed  and  anointed  his  own 
body  for  the  sacrifice,  and  quietly  selected  from  among 
his  chiefs  his  moe-pu  ("  companions  in  death  "),  seven 
men  willing  to  die  with  their  heroic  king. 

When  ready  to  leave  the  last  stopping-place,  Keotia 
gave  his  feather  cloak  and  other  valuables  to  Keawe  to 
dispose  of  ;  and  stepping  lightly  upon  the  platform  of 
his  own  canoe,  he  smiled  upon  all,  and  saluted  his  twenty- 
four  oarsmen.  His  seven  chosen  moe-pu  followed  him, 
together  with  Uhai,  his  kahili  bearer.  When  the  word 
"  Push  off  ! "  was  given  to  the  paddlers,  the  king  said, 
"  Aloha  !  "  with  a  parting  wave  of  the  hand  to  those 
whom  he  should  see  no  more. 

The  party  left  Kekaha  with  a  long  procession  of  canoes  ; 
that  of  Keawe  and  Kamanawa  keeping  close  in  the  rear 
of  the  king's.  The  canoe  of  Pauli  Kaoleioku,  the  king's 
half-brother  and  loved  companion  in  arms,  led  the  fleet. 
The  thoughtful  Keoiia  would  not  permit  Pauli  to  be  one 
of  his  moe-pu,  as  being  a  natural  son  of  Kamehameha,  he 
feared  it  might  seem  like  an  attempt  to  awaken  sympathy 
for  himself  to  have  the  gallant  Pauli  in  their  midst. 

When  off  Puako  point  the  harbor  of  Kawaihae  burst 
upon  their  view.  The  new  heidu  frowned  down  upon 
them  from  the  hillside,  waiting  to  be  consecrated  by  the 
sacrifice  of  some  notable  victim.  Did  Keoua  ask  him- 
self who  that  victim  would  be  ? 

A  great  fleet  of  war-canoes  formed  an  ominous  look- 
ing semicircle  around  the  bay.  An  opening  yawned  at 
its  centre  to  receive  those  who  would  never  pass  out 
again.  Keoua  saw  that  crowds  of  chiefs  were  gathered 
about  the  king  ;  and  the  whole  shore  was  lined  with  war- 
riors as  if  for  battle.  All  seemed  to  present  an  appear- 


330  Kamthamtha  the  Great. 

ance  too  warlike  for  the  reception  of  one  who  came  but 
to  surrender  his  army,  his  throne,  and  if  need  be  his  own 
young  life. 

So  thought  Keoua.  Turning  to  Keawe,  whose  canoe 
was  near  his  own,  he  sadly  exclaimed  :  "  Ino  uka  !  It 
looks  bad  ashore.  The  clouds  fly  most  unfavorably  for 
me." 

To  which  lament  Keawe  replied  : 

"  Whence  should  evil  come  on  so  fine  a  day  ? " 

"  The  clouds  fly  unfavorably  for  me,"  was  Keoria's 
only  answer. 

When  Keoua's  surrender  was  first  made  known  to 
Kamehameha,  he  was  importuned  by  his  chiefs  to  destroy 
the  troublesome  king  and  his  most  warlike  followers. 
They  argued  that  one  of  such  energy  and  ambition  could 
not  long  remain  at  peace,  as  the  old  adherents  of  Ki- 
walao  would  continue  rebellious  so  long  as  such  a  leader 
was  living. 

It  is  sad  to  think  that  the  noble  son  of  Wailele  could 
be  brought  to  adopt  this  line  of  argument  against  a  sub- 
missive foe.  The  subtle  philosophy  taught  him  by  Keeau- 
moku  cropped  out  upon  this,  as  upon  other  direful  occa- 
sions of  his  reign.  The  measure  proposed  was  murderous  ; 
its  incentive  was  to  make  the  most  of  the  opportunity 
thus  thrust  into  his  grasp.  Kamehameha  proved  him- 
self human.  He  was  probably  induced  to  give  Keeau- 
moku,  though  reluctantly,  the  secret  instructions  he 
desired. 

The  gigantic  warrior  at  once  took  the  lead  in  the 
treacherous  act  which  followed.  Soon  the  royal  canoes 
were  seen  approaching  the  beach  of  "  Boiling  Sands  "  at 
the  head  of  the  bay,  with  intent  to  land  within  the 
ominous  shadow  of  the  newly-completed  heidu.  A  great 


A  ssassination  of  Keotia.  331 

concourse  of  chiefs  stood  waiting  to  greet  the  renowned 
warriors  on  the  shore.  The  king  stood  aloof  in  the  back- 
ground, with  folded  arms  and  face  full  of  commiseration 
for  his  victims. 

As  Keoiia's  canoe  approached  near  the  landing,  the  crew 
visibly  hesitated,  so  awed  by  the  instinctive  irresolution 
which  often  appalls  the  bravest,  when  suddenly  con- 
fronted with  death's  invisible  presence.  Keeaumoku 
stepped  courteously  forward  to  the  beach  and  invited 
them  to  the  shore,  while  a  line  of  armed  men  made  a 
girdle  of  spears  about  them,  excluding  them  from  all 
others.  Seeing  Kamehameha  and  the  high-priest  stand- 
ing aloof  from  the  crowd,  Keoiia  called  out  cheerfully  to 
the  king  : 

"  Here  I  am  !  " 

Kamehameha  replied  :  "  Aloha  !  Rise  and  come 
ashore  that  we  may  know  each  other." 

And  the  gallant  young  king  rose  up,  gathered  his 
mantle  about  him,  and  prepared  to  step  ashore. 

But  before  the  canoe  could  touch  the  sand,  Keeau- 
moku sprang  into  the  shallow  water,  dagger  in  hand  ;  his 
savage  face  grown  black  as  a  tempest.  Wading  with  long 
strides  to  meet  Keoiia,  he  fell  upon  him  and  stabbed  him 
through  and  through, — muttering  revengeful  imprecations 
about  the  cruelties  inflicted  upon  himself  at  the  battle 
of  Keei.  Clutching  the  cruel  dagger,  the  death-stricken 
king  wrenched  it  from  his  breast,  staggered,  and  fell 
dead. 

Driving  his  reeking  weapon  through  the  other  seven 
submissive  chiefs  in  rapid  succession,  Keeaumoku 
then  signalled  to  his  encircling  spearsmen  to  end  the 
work. 

They  rushed  upon  the  crew  and  slaughtered  them  to  a 


332  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

man,  ere  the  death-freighted  boat  could  grate  upon  the 
shore.  Maddened  by  the  scent  of  blood,  the  enraged 
giant  would  have  inflicted  like  injustice  upon  those  in  the 
other  canoes,  headed  by  KeouVs  brother,  had  not  Kame- 
hameha sprang  forward  and  interfered  with  great  vehe- 
mence to  prevent  further  slaughter. 

Judging  from  one  fierce  imprecation  addressed  to 
Hewahewa  by  the  king  during  the  assassination,  a  re- 
vengeful invective  connected  with  his  sainted  mother's 
name,  one  cannot  but  believe  that  a  deadly  feeling  of 
revenge  against  Keoua  was  at  the  bottom  of  this  dread- 
ful act. 

The  bodies  of  the  eight  chieftains  were  taken  to  the 
new  keidut  Puukohala,  and  there  sacrificed  on  the  altar 
of  Pele,  Hewahewa  and  a  score  of  other  kahtinas  pre- 
siding over  a  strict  kapu  kane  of  a  month's  duration, 
preparatory  to  renewing  the  conquest  of  the  Leeward 
Islands. 

Thus  fell  Keoila,  the  hero  of  many  a  hard-fought 
battle,  together  with  his  seven  brave  moe-pu,  who  gladly 
became  the  king's  "  companions  in  death."  It  was  a 
cruel  act,  a  foul  deed  !  and  no  voice  has  yet  justified  the 
crime.  It  is  not  known  that  Kamehameha  sanctioned 
or  justified  it.  Let  us  hope,  for  humanity's  sake,  that  his 
sceptre  was  not  stained  by  the  deed.  It  was  symbolic 
of  the  barbaric  times  in  which  he  lived,  when  many  an 
obnoxious  chief  was  "  put  away "  secretly  or  publicly, 
and  no  voice  was  raised  against  the  cruelty,  if  but  the 
hand  which  inflicted  the  blow  was  strong. 

Kamehameha  was  ambitious  to  consolidate  the  group 
and  civilize  the  land,  and  Providence  did  not  provide 
him  with  saintly  hands  to  accomplish  his  task.  To 
reform  a  barbaric  nation — whether  by  pious  Puritan  or 


The  Royal  Holocaust.  333 

savage  pagan — seems  to  require  that  most  of  its  hearts 
should  be  pierced.  When  the  stately  edifice  is  reared, 
few  question  too  closely  whether  it  was  reared  by  prayer 
or  founded  in  blood. 


XXXVIII. 

THE   TIME   OF    THE   GOOD   VANCOUVER. 

MOMENTOUS  events  occurred  during  the  five 
years  prior  to  1795.  The  avenging  Pele  in- 
scribed the  pages  of  Hawaiian  history  with  a  ruthless 
hand,  and  warlike  kings  flashed  with  meteoric  splendor 
across  the  arena  of  battle. 

The  smoke  of  sacrificial  offering  ascending  from  the 
new  temple  of  Puukohala — a  cruel  holocaust  of  royal 
manes — had  not  disappeared  from  the  sky  before  a  wail 
went  out  over  the  land  for  the  dead  mother  of  the  king. 
Was  it  divine  retribution  for  the  transgressor  coming 
from  another  God — the  real  God,  rather  than  Pele  ? 

Wailele,  the  loved  priestess  of  Mukini,  died  of  grief  at 
the  last  ruthless  act  of  her  son.  .  While  kneeling  at  her 
altar,  on  the  evening  of  the  day  in  which  she  heard  of 
the  assassination  of  Keoua  and  of  his  chieftains,  the 
bursting  heart  gave  way.  If  the  beautiful  Wailele  had 
not  loved  the  handsome  king  of  Kau  when  he  laid  his 
heart  at  her  feet,  she  had  not  yet  forgotten  his  beauty 
and  bravery,  nor  his  undying  affection,  and  she  had 
often  prompted  her  god-born  son  to  be  lenient  and  gene- 
rous with  his  rival,  in  whom  she  recognized  great  nobility 
of  soul. 

The  death  of  his  mother  was  a  source  of  lingering 
grief  to  the  king.  He  visited  Waimanu  and  mourned 
over  her  tomb,  and  made  new  vows  for  the  future.  In 

334 


The  Three  Neiv  Wives.  335 

all  the  coming  years  of  warfare  and  state-craft  no  other 
act  cast  such  a  shadow  over  his  reign.  The  loved 
Wailele  was  never  again  forgotten.  Her  precepts  were 
ever  upon  his  lips  ;  her  love  for  her  fellow-men  served 
to  soften  the  hard  lot  of  the  defeated  and  the  lowly  in 
all  the  land. 

Pemilani,  the  king's  fovorite  priest-girl  at  the  heidu, 
was  appointed  priestess  of  Mukini,  and  soon  after  be- 
came one  of  Kamehameha's  subordinate  queens.  She 
lived,  however,  at  the  heidu,  his  birth-place.  Other 
wives  were  added  to  Kamehameha's  list  of  queens  about 
this  time.  An  obnoxious  chief  having  aspired  to  the 
hand  of  Kalakua,  "  Feather  Mantle's  "  sister,  the  king 
paid  her  brief  court  and  wedded  her  himself,  much  to 
the  indignation  of  Kaahumanu.  Not  long  after,  in  fear 
that  a  still  younger  sister,  Namahana,  should  be  improp- 
erly mated,  the  king  added  this  third  beauty  from  one 
family  to  his  queens.  She  was  then  a  delicate  young 
beauty,  but  later  in  life  she  acquired  a  quite  undue  cor- 
pulency.* 

Kahekili,  like  many  other  ruling  chiefs  when  deeply 
grief-stricken,  became  addicted  to  the  use  of  awa,  which 
soon  brought  on  premature  decay.  He  did  not  long 
survive  the  destruction  of  his  fleet  and  army  at  the  bat- 
tles of  lao  and  Kohala.  Grieved  by  his  death,  even  the 
warlike  Keao  became  depressed  by  the  lowering  shadow  of 
coming  events.  Deserting  his  new  kingdom  of  Maui,  the 
recent  gifts  of  his  dead  brother,  the  aged  king  embarked 
with  his  ill-disciplined  army  for  his  more  remote  kingdom 

*  I  would  like  to  send  home,  as  a  curiosity,  one  of  Lydia  Nama- 
hana's  green  kid  gaiters.  Her  ankle  measures  eighteen  inches,  with- 
out exaggeration" — (L.  F.  Judd's  "  Honolulu,"  p.  ll).  This  was  in 
the  year  1828. 


336  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

of  Kauai.  He  departed  with  something  of  unseemly 
haste,  seeking  to  put  more  islands  between  himself  and 
the  conquering  king  of  Hawaii.  The  rebellious  land  of 
Maui  had  been  so  devastated  by  repeated  wars  that 
Keao's  half-starved  followers  could  not  be  depended 
upon  to  meet  the  trained  forces  of  Kamehameha. 

Tarrying  for  a  time  at  the  remote  end  of  Oahu,  await- 
ing favorable  weather  to  continue  his  voyage,  the  fractious 
old  monarch  found  excuse  to  quarrel  with  his  nephew, 
the  boy-king  of  the  island.  Though  Kalani  was  its 
rightful  ruler  by  the  death  of  his  father,  and  though  the 
conqueror  daily  threatened  to  overwhelm  all  their  king- 
doms, yet  the  savage  old  Keao  suddenly  turned  his 
forces  upon  his  young  nephew,  and  sought  to  wrench 
Oahu  from  his  rule.  The  first  battle  was  fought  at  Puna- 
hanele,  where  victory  leaned  to  the  old  king's  side. 
Kalani  was  forced  to  retreat  for  a  time,  with  the  loss  of 
several  foreigners  who  had  done  good  service  in  his 
ranks.  Encouraged  by  his  success,  Keao  injudiciously 
followed  up  his  advantage,  when  a  final  engagement  took 
place  at  Kalauao.  There  the  old  king  was  killed,  and 
his  whole  army  surrendered  to  the  heroic  Kalani,  who 
now  turned  his  attention  to  organizing  from  the  wrecks 
of  battle  a  new  army  with  which  to  resist  the  coming 
invader. 

Notable  among  the  contemporary  events  of  this  period 
was  the  arrival  of  Captain  Vancouver,  from  whom,  more 
than  any  other,  Kamehameha  derived  instruction  in  war  ; 
and  from  whom  he  received  efficient  aid  in  building  a 
vessel  and  fitting  out  his  war  canoes.  The  last  of  Van- 
couver's visits  occurred  just  before  the  king  embarked 
on  his  final  expedition  of  conquest. 

Being  absent  on  his  first  Maui  expedition  during  Van- 


Vancouver  s  Puaa-Bipi.  337 

couver's  first  visit,  Kamehameha  did  not  see  the  English 
captain  at  that  time.  Kaiana,  who,  as  we  saw,  was  left 
in  charge  of  an  army  to  keep  Keoua  in  check,  met  Van- 
couver in  Kealekeakua  Bay,  in  March,  1792. 

Going  on  board  the  "  Discovery,"  this  arrogant  chief 
sought  to  impress  the  foreigners  with  his  growing  im- 
portance ;  representing  himself  as  having  equal  share  in 
the  government  with  Kamehameha.  This  false  represen- 
tation induced  the  English  to  salute  him  with  four  guns. 
From  this  gratification  of  his  vanity  came  the  subsequent 
disaffection  of  this  Benedict  Arnold  of  Hawaii. 

After  a  brief  visit  the  ships  sailed  for  the  northwest 
coast.  Returning  to  Hawaii  early  in  1793,  they  anchored 
in  Kewaihae  Bay,  while  the  king  was  at  Kailua,  farther  to 
the  south.  On  the  i9th  of  February  Vancouver  landed 
a  California  bull  and  cow,  as  presents  for  the  king.  This 
aroused  the  jealousy  of  Kalaimoku,  chief  of  the  port, 
and  he  refused  to  lend  his  canoe,  the  only  one  suitable  to 
make  the  landing,  until  he  was  bribed,  although  he  had 
already  received  presents  suitable  to  his  rank.  This 
event  showed  the  growing  avarice  of  the  ruling  chiefs,  to 
whom  the  king  alone  was  superior.  These  cattle  were 
the  first  of  several  herds  brought  to  Hawaii,  the  wild 
progeny  of  which  fairly  overrun  the  mountain  regions  in 
after  years. 

Weighing  anchor,  the  two  ships  coasted  along  the  shore 
to  the  south,  trading  for  the  provisions  needed  for  the 
cruise.  When  the  "  Discovery  "  was  off  Kailua,  Kame- 
hameha boarded  the  ship  accompanied  by  Young  and 
several  minor  chiefs,  his  personal  attendants,  such  as  the 
"  fly  brusher  "  and'  the  "  pipe  lighter."  The  first  of  these 
ever  remained  near  the  king,  waving  his  long  feather 
plume  or  kahili,  whether  his  master  was  standing,  lying, 
eating,  or  sleeping. 


338  Kant/hamtha  the  Great. 

Vancouver  was  surprised  at  the  agreeable  change 
which  had  taken  place  in  the  formidable  warrior  since  he 
saw  him  at  the  visit  of  Captain  Cook.  The  savage  ex- 
pression then  attributed  to  Kamehameha  by  Captain 
King  was  gone.  The  ferocity  of  those  days  had  given 
place  to  a  calm  and  resolute  look,  and  dignified  carriage. 
His  majestic  mien  betokened  the  nobility  of  soul  that 
ever  after  distinguished  him.  His  eyes  were  dark  as  a 
tempest,  and  piercing  as  an  eagle's.  They  could  be  soft 
as  a  dove's,  when  touched  by  affection,  but  lurid  as  light- 
ning when  ablaze  with  anger  in  the  mad  hour  of  battle. 
He  read  one's  thoughts  at  a  glance,  penetrating  the  most 
secret  designs  of  those  who  approached  him  ;  and  his 
glance  was  so  commanding  that  the  most  arrogant  of  his 
chiefs  quailed  beneath  a  look  of  rebuke  from  Kame- 
hameha. 

Vancouver  found  him  frank,  generous,  and  cheerful  ; 
but  the  obtrusive  presence  of  one  of  his  overbearing 
chiefs  at  once  made  his  height  more  towering  and  his 
tones  more  commanding  ;  while  his  dark  eyes  acquired  a 
sinister,  greenish  tinge  that  was  fearful  to  see.  In  bodily 
frame  and  stature  he  was  a  herculean  savage  ;  and  his 
soul  was  as  great.  He  was  wise,  sagacious,  and  benevo- 
lent ;  a  man  whose  noble  traits  the  most  enlightened 
would  be  proud  to  acknowledge. 

While  Vancouver's  benevolent  counsel  could  not  in  the 
least  repress  the  king's  ambition  for  power  and  national 
aggrandizement,  yet  it  greatly  served  to  foster  his  cour- 
tesy to  strangers,  and  confirmed  his  protecting  policy 
toward  foreigners  who  resided  in  the  land.  And  more 
than  this,  it  gave  to  the  ripening  intellect  of  the  king 
broad  and  humane  views  of  government,  and  clearer  per- 
ception of  the  effects  of  religion  and  statesmanship  in 


Appearance  of  Kaahumanu.  339 

moulding  the  commercial  policy  of  other  lands.  Kame*- 
hameha  long  felt  the  elevating  influence  of  his  noble 
English  friend.  He  became  a  better  man  and  ruler  from 
this  brief  contact  with  one  of  nature's  noblemen.  Van- 
couver's character  formed  a  benign  contrast  with  that  of 
the  egotistic  and  quarrelsome  Cook,  whose  vanity  led  to 
his  being  worshipped  as  a  god,  and  whose  tyranny  and 
arrogance  brought  about  the  tragic  end  of  his  great 
career. 

Kamehame'ha  visited  Vancouver's  ship,  taking  with 
him  Kaahumanu,  his  "  love  queen,"  as  "  Feather  Mantle  " 
was  called  from  the  ardent  affection  with  which  she  in- 
spired him.  Several  of  her  pretty  court  ladies  also  fol- 
lowed the  king  on  board.  Vancouver  represented  the 
young  queen  as  being  agreeable  and  beautiful ;  a  plump, 
voluptuous  wahine,  of  whom  Kamehameha  seemed  most 
fond  and  proud.  A  number  of  high-chiefs  also  made 
their  appearance,  and  Vancouver  took  the  opportune  oc- 
casion to  distribute  foreign  presents  among  those  of  high 
rank.  Kamehameha  received  a  military  cloak  of  scarlet 
trimmed  with  gold  lace  and  adorned  with  epaulets.  He 
was  much  pleased,  and  paraded  the  deck  with  a  martial 
air  of  mock  gravity,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  queen  and 
her  followers. 

The  ships  lay  off  and  on  during  the  night,  anchoring 
in  Kealekeakua  Bay  on  the  following  morning.  During 
the  day  Kamehameha  made  a  visit  of  state  to  the  ships. 
He  was  arrayed  in  his  gorgeous  feather  mamo,  glittering 
like  burnished  gold  ;  so  ample  was  this  magnificent  robe 
that  it  trailed  from  his  colossal  shoulders  to  the  deck. 
This  cloak  was  the  work  of  nine  generations  of  kings, 
under  whom  thousands  of  bird-catchers  had  toiled  in  the 
mountains  of  Hawaii.  Its  value,  as  represented  by  this 


34O  Kant/katn/ka  the  Great. 

immense  labor,  was  inestimable.  On  his  head  the  king 
wore  a  plumed  helmet  adorned  with  red  and  yellow 
feathers.  He  looked  every  inch  the  conquering  monarch 
that  he  was. 

Embarking  in  one  of  his  largest  war  canoes,  manned 
by  thirty-six  huge  paddlers,  one  might  well  deem  he  was 
among  a  race  of  giants.  Ten  other  great  canoes  followed 
the  king,  each  laden  with  nine  fat  hogs  of  the  largest 
size  as  presents  to  Vancouver.  Stepping  on  board  with 
great  dignity,  Kamehameha  took  the  slight  hand  of  the 
English  captain  in  his  gigantic  palm,  and  covering  him 
with  his  deep,  dark  eyes,  said  : 

"  Aloha  oe,  Kapene  !  Oe  he  hoa  aloha  Kamehameha  ?  " 
Thus  translated  by  the  interpreter  :  "  Love  to  you,  Cap- 
tain Vancouver.  Are  you  friend  to  Kamehameha  ?  " 

Vancouver  responded  warmly  :  "  Yes,  King  George 
and  I  will  always  be  your  best  friends." 

"  Maikai  !  maikai!"  (good,  good  !)  exclaimed  Kame- 
hameha, for  Vancouver's  answer  needed  no  interpreta- 
tion to  the  keen-eyed  monarch,  who  saluted  the  Captain 
with  a  warm  embrace.  Considering  the  massive  nose 
that  gave  emphasis  to  the  greeting,  it  might  have  been 
regarded  as  a  dangerous  degree  of  frictional  affection. 

Four  helmets  of  beautiful  fabrication  were  then  ten- 
dered Vancouver  as  presents,  followed  by  the  ninety 
great  swine  in  the  ten  canoes,  together  with  prodigious 
quantities  of  fruits,  fowls,  and  vegetables  brought  in  a 
fleet  of  smaller  canoes.  All  of  these  were  deposited  on 
deck  to  the  amazement  and  delight  of  the  Englishmen. 

"Although  these  vast  quantities  of  food  could  not  be 
used  before  they  took  hurt,  nothing  was  allowed  to  be 
returned. 

Responding  as  best  he  could  to  this  unexpected  hos- 


The  Angry  Giant.  341 

pitality,  Vancouver  then  presented  to  the  king  five  more 
cows  and  a  number  of  sheep,  which  were  sent  ashore. 
Kamehameha  promised  to  give  attention  to  their  care  ; 
while  Hewahewa  tabued  them  for  the  space  of  ten  years, 
with  the  proviso  that  the  women  as  well  as  the  men 
should  then  be  allowed  to  eat  of  \hz  puaa-bipt  or  "  swine- 
beef,"  as  they  called  the  cattle. 

These  presents  were  all  made  to  the  king.  This  cir- 
cumstance aroused  some  appearance  of  jealousy  among 
the  chiefs,  as  at  Kawaihae  Bay.  It  did  not  fail  to  attract 
the  keen-eyed  monarch's  attention,  and  soon  after  brought 
down  upon  the  offenders  a  terrible  reprimand.  Kaiana 
coming  on  board  just  then,  Kamehameha's  austere  look 
showed  to  all  present  the  growing  disaffection  which 
already  existed  between  him  and  some  of  the  arrogant 
chiefs.  He  had  already  heard  of  Kaiana's  false  repre- 
sentation of  his  power  in  the  land  ;  but  policy  prevented 
Kamehameha  from  coming  to  an  open  rupture  in  the 
present  condition  of  his  affairs.  But  from  this  hour  was 
dated  the  deep-laid  conspiracy  of  Kaiana  to  conquer  the 
kingdom  for  himself. 

When  Kaiana's  presents  came  to  be  accepted  by  Van- 
couver— who  still  believed  in  the  exalted  rank  of  the 
false  chief — then  the  gigantic  Keeaumoku  became  angry 
because  his  presents  had  been  declined,  while  yet  he  was 
by  far  the  more  exalted  in  rank. 

The  king  sat  black  and  silent  until  he  could  contain 
himself  no  longer.  The  quarrel  between  the  chiefs  and 
the  arrogant  part  played  by  Kaiana  compelled  the  indig- 
nant monarch  to  assert  his  prerogative.  In  reply  to  the 
noisy  bravado  of  the  latter,  Kamehameha  sprang  to  his 
feet  and  said  in  a  voice  of  thunder  : 

"  Malie  !  Oe  Alii  naaupo — Hush  !  you  dark-hearted 
chief." 


342  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

In  an  instant  the  stormy  elements  were  stilled  by  his 
mandate  and  overpowering  presence.  He  then  declared 
with  great  force  and  dignity  to  Vancouver  and  to  the 
turbulent  chiefs  that  there  was  no  need  for  the  English 
to  accept  gifts  from  any  one  but  himself,  saying  : 

"  I  am  the  king  and  master  here  !  Captain  Van- 
couver, do  not  receive  pig,  potato,  or  banana  from  the 
mightiest  chief  who  visits  you.  These  brawling  a/it's  are 
all  subjects  of  mine.  Every  foot  of  the  land  and  all  it 
contains  is  the  rightful  property  of  the  king  ;  and  Kame- 
hameha is  King  !  " 

The  flashing  eyes  and  terrible  look  of  the  monarch 
emphasized  what  he  said,  and  among  the  twenty  enraged 
chiefs  within  hearing  of  that  passionate  utterance,  sitting 
with  heads  bowed  in  sullen  acquiescence,  none  dared 
say  nay.  They  sat  sulking  with  lowering  brows,  their 
muttered  maledictions  serving  as  timid  echoes  to  the 
outburst  of  the  king's  resonant  voice,  which  was  alike 
appalling  to  friend  or  foe.  From  that  moment  Van- 
couver grasped  the  situation  with  which  he  had  to  deal. 
He  saw  that  if  Kamehameha  did  not  already  possess 
absolute  authority  he  would  soon  acquire  it  by  his  greatly 
superior  force,  both  of  mental  acumen  and  physical 
prowess  ;  and  to  the  king  he  henceforth  paid  his  principal 
court. 

After  the  ships  had  been  cleared  of  all  but  the  royal 
guests,  Keeaumoku  being  the  only  chief  who  remained, 
Vancouver  asked  permission  to  erect  an  observatory  on 
shore  in  order  to  correct  his  chronometers. 

This  request  recalled  the  tragic  difficulties  with  Cap- 
tain Cook.  While  Kamehameha  assented  to  Vancouver's 
wishes,  he  demanded  authoritatively  that  certain  rules 
of  strict  discipline  should  be  observed  by  both  parties. 


The  Kings  Speech.  343 

He  urged  that  no  foreigner  could  be  permitted  to  in- 
fringe upon  the  tabtis,  enter  the  heidus,  or  violate  any  of 
their  religious  observances. 

On  his  part  the  king  promised  not  to  allow  any  but 
chiefs  of  rank  to  visit  the  ships,  and  if  theft  occurred,  he 
would  be  responsible  for  both  the  thief  and  the  stolen 
property.  An  occasion  soon  came  to  test  his  sincerity. 
A  woman  was  induced  by  an  officer  to  swim  off  to  the 
ship  in  the  night.  On  returning  she  committed  some 
thefts.  The  stolen  goods  were  promptly  restored,  though 
on  board  the  ship  they  were  not  known  to  be  lost. 

Vancouver's  good  judgment  and  good-will  led  to  a 
lasting  mutual  respect.  It  rendered  his  visit  beneficial, 
and  his  final  departure  was  equally  sad  for  the  English 
and  the  Hawaiians. 

At  the  last  hour  before  sailing,  Vancouver  exerted 
himself  to  make  peace  between  Hawaii  and  the  Leeward 
Islands.  This  elicited  a  flash  of  eloquence  from  the 
king  and  chiefs.  All  listened  with  profound  deference 
to  Vancouver's  argument.  The  interest  the  English  had 
shown  in  them  increased  their  vanity  and  strengthened 
their  wish  for  conquest.  In  Kamehame'ha's  reply  he 
said  : 

"  Captain  !  You  ask  me  to  make  peace  with  the  Lee- 
ward kings.  We  agree  with  you  that  peace  is  the  true 
policy  of  our  Eight  Isles.  But  how  can  there  be  peace 
among  many  rulers  ?  King  George  makes  war  on  other 
lands  because  he  is  not  their  king.  A  king  does  not 
make  war  on  his  own  peaceful  subjects. 

"It  is  plain  there  can  be  no  peace  among  so  many 
kingdoms.  There  must  be  but  one  kingdom,  one  king. 
Who  shall  be  king?  Who  shall  make  conquest  of  all 
the  isles  and  give  peace  to  the  people  forever  ?  It  can- 


344  Kam£ham£ha  the  Great. 

not  be  the  cannibal  kings  of  Maui,  for  Hawaii  never  was 
conquered  since  it  was  a  small  egg  floating  about  on  the 
sea.  Who  then  shall  go  forth  and  conquer  the  isles 
from  Maui  to  Kauai,  and  make  a  peace  that  shall  smile 
over  all  the  land,  make  good  laws  until  "  old  men  can 
lie  down  in  the  by-paths  and  not  be  robbed  ?  "  There 
is  but  one,  he  whom  the  gods  have  most  favored  among 
all  the  sons  of  men  ;  it  is  Kamehameha  !  " 

Keeaumoku  said  : 

"  If  the  English  chief  would  have  peace,  let  him  help 
Kamehameha  to  conquer  the  base  kings  of  the  Leeward 
Isles.  He  has  fitted  our  war  canoes  with  sails  ;  let  him 
now  mount  them  with  swivel-guns.  Give  us  muskets 
and  daggers,  and  the  conquest  is  made  easy  ;  and  there 
shall  be  no  more  war  forever.  Will  the  haole  give  us 
the  powder  and  guns  ?  " 

The  hush  which  followed  this  ingenious  appeal  to 
Vancouver  was  broken  by  one  mystic  word,  a  cabalistic 
reply,  which  silenced  all  further  importunity  on  the  sub- 
ject : 

"  TABU  to  King  George  !  " 

Sailing  that  day,  Vancouver  anchored  for  a  while  at 
Maui,  March  i2th,  where  he  met  Kahekili  and  Keao. 
He  recommended  his  pacific  policy  to  the  two  aged 
kings,  who  were  so  humbled  by  their  naval  defeat  at 
Kohala,  that  peace  at  any  price  would  have  been  wel- 
comed, such  was  their  growing  dread  of  the  young 
conqueror. 

Sailing  upon  a  cruise,  the  ships  returned  for  the  last 
time  June  1794.  The  vessels  appeared  off  Hilo  Bay. 
The  wind  being  unfavorable  for  entering,  the  king,  who 
was  residing  at  Hilo,  went  on  board  the  "  Discovery," 
where  he  was  urged  by  Vancouver  to  go  round  to 


Vancouvers's  Last  Visit.  345 

Kealakeakua  in  the  ship.  At  first  Kamehameha  refused, 
for  it  was  the  makahiki  or  New  Year's  festival,  a  month 
of  wild  saturnalia  in  which  the  king  took  conspicuous 
part,  and  he  did  not  wish  to  break  the  religious  observ- 
ances to  which  he  was  strongly  wedded. 

At  the  makahiki  it  belonged  to  the  king,  or  in  his 
absence  to  the  highest  chief  of  the  place,  to  embark  in 
a  canoe  before  daylight,  landing  at  sunrise  at  some 
appointed  spot  where  a  renowned  warrior  was  stationed 
to  receive  him  with  a  shower  of  spears  when  he  landed. 
The  first  spear  was  to  be  caught  in  the  hand  ;  with  it 
the  others  were  to  be  warded  off,  and  when  the  assault 
was  over  the  king  carried  the  spear,  point  downward, 
into  the  nearest  heidu.  After  this  began  the  games, 
dances,  and  sham  fights,  which  opened  the  makahiki  fes- 
tival for  the  assembled  multitude.  During  the  days  of 
festivity  crimes  went  unpunished,  wars  were  discontin- 
ued, and  no  person  could  leave  the  place  until  the  expi- 
ration of  the  holidays. 

When  solicited  by  Vancouver  to  accompany  him,  the 
king  urged  the  necessity  of  obtaining  the  priest's  sanc- 
tion to  his  absence.  But  Keeaumoku  and  Vancouver 
both  replied  that  the  king  was  exalted  above  all  social 
or  religious  rules.  He  acquiesced,  and  a  canoe  was  sent 
ashore  to  announce  that  the  king  would  not  take  part  in 
the  games.  During  the  passage  a  number  of  chiefs 
came  off,  much  surprised  to  find  the  king  on  board,  but 
were  satisfied  when  he  made  known  that  it  was  his  own 
choice. 

In  part  payment  for  Kamehameha's  boundless  lib- 
erality of  provisions  on  this  and  previous  occasions. 
Vancouver  directed  a  vessel  to  be  built  for  him  ;  and  on 
the  first  of  February,  1794,  the  keel  of  the  "Britannia" 


346  Kame'hanie'ha  the  Great. 

was  laid,  the  first  vessel  built  at  the  Islands.  She  was 
built  by  the  ship's  carpenters,  and  fitted  by  the  seamen 
with  a  full  suit  of  sails,  anchors,  and  cables. 

He  rendered  the  king  a  service  in  love  as  well  as  in 
war.  Finding  that  Kamehameha  had  been  estranged 
from  his  loved  Kaahumanu,  owing  to  an  alleged  intimacy 
with  the  treacherous  Kaiana,  Vancouver  invited  the 
repentant  queen  on  board.  By  an  innocent  artifice  he 
also  induced  the  kings  to  come  off,  and  confronted  the 
indignant  monarch  and  his  spouse.  The  tears  of  a 
beautiful  woman  were  too  subtle  for  his  anger.  The 
royal  pair  embraced  and  were  reconciled.  But  "  Feather 
Mantle  "  begged  Vancouver  to  induce  the  king  to  prom- 
ise to  forego  the  usual  beating  when  she  got  ashore, — 
this  discipline  being  then  a  part  of  a  Hawaiian  queen's 
domestic  training. 

Perhaps  Kamehameha  the  more  easily  believed  in  the 
infidelity  of  his  favorite  queen  when  he  remembered  the 
coquettish  maiden,  already  betrothed  to  Prince  Kiwalao, 
who  had  flirted  with  him,  a  stranger,  at  the  Feast  of 
Kings. 


XXXIX. 

THE    INVASION    OF    OAHU. 

VANCOUVER  sailed,  beloved  and  regretted.  Im- 
mediately after  his  departure,  preparations  for 
the  final  expedition  of  conquest  were  resumed.  An  army 
of  16,000  men  was  fully  equipped,  carefully  disciplined 
and  fitly  marshalled  by  experienced  chiefs  of  great  mili- 
tary renown.  These,  together  with  a  company  of  foreign 
and  native  soldiers,  armed  with  muskets,  drilled  by  Van- 
couver's officers,  and  commanded  by  Young  and  Davis, 
gave  the  Hawaiians  such  advantage  over  the  ill-assorted 
forces  of  the  Leeward  kings  as  to  leave  little  doubt  of 
Kamehameha's  eventual  success. 

With  an  army  of  such  size  and  skill,  led  by  a  warrior 
of  indomitable  energy  and  superhuman  prowess,  well 
might  his  own  followers  deem  Kamehame'ha  sent  from 
Pele.  What  wonder  that  the  benighted  barbarians  of 
the  Leeward  Isles  should  shrink  from  encountering  such 
a  demigod, — appalled  by  the  tradition  of  his  supernatural 
birth,  his  wolfish  ferocity,  and  his  unprecedented  valor  in 
the  hour  of  battle. 

While  the  famous  shell  trumpet  *  called  Kiha-pu,  was 

*  Many  a  weird  tale  has  been  told  by  the  gossips  of  long  ago  of  the 
wonders  of  this  kiha-pu.  This  shell  trumpet  was  said  to  have  had 
power  to  call  up  the  kini  akua  (gods  and  genii).  When  properly 
blown,  its  ringing  notes  could  be  heard  from  Waipio  to  the  mountain 
town  of  Waimea.  It  was  composed  of  a  singular  nautilus  shell,  seldom 
found  on  Hawaii,  and  richly  inlaid,  after  the  ancient  custom,  with  the 

347 


348  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

being  blown  by  Keeaumoku,  Kame'hameha,  and  a  group 
of  his  chiefs  stood  on  the  ever-verdant  cliffs  overlooking 
the  Upolu  Sea,  where  he  could  watch  his  great  canoe 
fleet  gather  and  form  in  the  still  waters  along  the  Kohala 
shore.  Emerging  from  every  inlet  and  haven  that  in- 
dented the  coast-line  for  fifty  miles,  the  canoes  flashed 
into  view,  grouped  into  diminutive  fleets  under  appointed 
leaders  of  the  districts,  but  gathering  like  flocks  of  white- 
winged  birds  in  dozens  and  scores  until  a  thousand  full- 
armed  vessels  were  concentrated  beneath  the  eye  of  the 
king,  where  he  stood  by  the  great  temple  of  Moa-alii 
on  the  beetling  crags  of  the  Kohala  shore.* 

Hewahewa  had  recently  presided  over  a  great  sacrifice 
at  the  new  heidu  of  Puukohala,  where  human  lives  had 
been  offered  up  without  stinting.  Every  temple  of  Pele 
in  the  land  had  borne  its  dreadful  oblations  to  the  god- 
dess to  insure  success  to  the  army. 

The  aged  Pepehi  had  sacrificed  his  bleeding  holocaust, 
and  sent  his  last  prophetic  oracle  to  the  king.  He  had 
also  sent  his  poison-god,  Kalaipahoa,  to  adorn  the  new 
temple  of  Puukohala,  lest  at  his  demise  the  dreadful  idol 
might  fall  into  hands  unfriendly  to  Kamehameha,f  and 
untold  evil  might  occur.  His  last  message  to  his  nephew 
was  brief,  but  one  to  stir  the  soul  of  the  conqueror  and 
to  confirm  his  convictions  of  success  : 

teeth  of  war-chiefs  slain  in  single  combat  by  King  Kiha.  It  was  ex- 
hibited at  the  Paris  Exposition  in  1865,  and  may  still  be  seen  in  the 
museum  at  Honolulu. — "  Polynesian  Races,"  p.  72. 

*  The  costly  statue  of  the  king  represents  this  occasion. 

f  A  small  idol  similar  to  the  great  poison-god  was  made  for  Kame- 
hameha,  and  carried  about  with  him  everywhere,  being  placed  under 
his  pillow  when  he  slept.  When  the  king  died  Pepehi's  old  poison- 
god  was  divided  and  distributed  among  many  great  chiefs.  (See  Ellis' 
"  Hawaii,"  p.  61. 


Pepehi's  Dying  Oracle.  349 

"  All  hail  !  Kamehame'ha  the  Great,  King  of  the  Eight 
Isles  !  Though  mine  old  eyes  are  blinded  with  age  and 
natural  infirmity,  a  wondrous  vision  of  glory  yet  rises  be- 
fore me,  following  the  most  red-handed  victory  that  shall 
be  known  among  all  the  contentions  of  men.  Be  humane 
as  you  are  brave,  be  just  as  you  are  noble  ;  and  the  name 
of  Kame'hameha  the  Great  shall  never  be  forgotten  in  the 
history  of  the  world.  Aloha  !  my  son.  Herein  receive 
the  last  god-given  oracle  from  the  dying  priest  of  Puu- 
keekee." 

This  message  from  his  uncle  affected  the  king  to 
tears.  It  renewed  his  grief  at  the  loss  of  his  loved 
mother,  and  awakened  his  regrets  that  WaileUe  could  not 
have  lived  to  partake  of  the  crowning  glory  that  awaited 
his  coming. 

When  the  final  sacrifices  to  Moa-alii  were  completed — 
human  oblations  proffered  for  safe  passage  over  the  in- 
tervening seas — the  king  descended  to  the  adjacant  har- 
bor where  the  "  Britannia  "  was  anchored,  with  sails 
hoisted  and  colors  flying,  awaiting  his  coming. 

Embarking  amidst  his  fleet  of  a  thousand  canoes, 
Upolu  Sea  was  made  gay  with  sails  and  fluttering  flags  ; 
while  the  roll  of  drums,  the  shriek  of  fifes,  the  intense 
resonance  of  conch  shells,  created  a  martial  din  sufficient 
to  awaken  valor  in  the  least  combative.  Kamehameha's 
great  heart  must  have  thrilled  with  just  pride  and  exulta- 
tion in  contemplating  his  invincible  armada,  and  dreaming 
of  universal  empire  on  that  eventful  day.  Yet  history 
relates  that  he  whose  mandate  had  convoked  this  vast 
array,  and  whose  fertile  mind  had  presided  over  every 
detail  of  discipline  and  organization,  was  the  calmest  and 
least  exultant  person  among  that  assembly  of  renowned 
chiefs. 


3 so  Kamtkamtka  the  Great. 

The  newly  launched  "  Britannia  "  led  the  fleet  in  the 
direction  of  Maui,  gay  with  pennons  and  glittering  with 
four  brass  cannon,  three  of  which  had  already  achieved 
such  wonders,  and  were  yet  destined  to  batter  down  the 
ramparts  of  the  foemen,  and  lay  low  the  one  black 
traitor  in  that  exultant  army. 

Kahekili  and  Keao,  the  two  kings  who  had  fought  the 
Hawaiians  for  seventeen  years,  were  both  dead.  The 
one,  of  grief  because  of  his  ill  success  against  the  new- 
comer ;  the  other  while  seeking  real  or  imagined  cause 
for  war  with  Kalani,  in  a  time  of  peril  to  all,  and  falling 
before  him  in  the  second  of  two  desperate  battles  just 
previous  to  Kamehameha's  invasion.  Koalaikaui,  the 
young  brother  of  Kalani,  had  been  left  to  govern  Maui. 
When  the  unwarlike  prince  beheld  the  great  fleet  of  in- 
vaders about  to  assail  his  shores,  he  gathered  a  few  of 
his  followers  and  fled  to  Kauai,  tarrying  at  Oahu  just 
long  enough  to  report  to  Kalani  what  he  had  seen.  But 
he  had  not  sufficient  patriotism  to  join  in  resisting  the 
invader. 

This  campaign  began  in  February,  1795.  About  two 
months  were  taken  up  in  overrunning  Maui,  and  securing 
the  conquest  of  that  and  the  neighboring  islands.  Leav- 
ing a  thousand  of  the  less  valuable  warriors  as  a  garrison 
to  hold  Maui,  the  whole  available  army  was  at  length 
concentrated  in  Sandy  Bay,  at  the  east  end  of  Molokai. 

Early  upon  a  bright  morning  in  May,  Kamehameha 
manned  his  canoes  and  weighed  anchor  for  the  long  con- 
templated invasion  of  Oahu.  Going  in  person  with  the 
first  division  and  the  Giant  Guard,  the  king  led  the  way 
across  the  Kaiwi  Sea  in  the  "Britannia." 

The  trade-winds  blew  gently  from  the  east,  making 
the  usually  rough  waters  safe  for  even  the  smallest  canoe. 


Invasion  of  Oahu.  351 

The  day  bid  fair  for  a  good  landing,  even  should  the 
enemy  concentrate  in  force  to  resist  them.  A  few  hours' 
pleasant  sailing  brought  them  abreast  of  the  black  cliffs 
of  Koko  Point.  Doubling  the  rocky  cape  the  fleet 
rounded  gaily  into  Waialae  Bay,  where  the  army  disem- 
barked, and  rapidly  occupied  all  the  strategic  points 
along  the  Kona  shore,  surprised  that  the  active  Kalani 
was  not  there  to  resist  the  landing.  But  the  wise  young 
king  knew  his  inferiority  of  force  and  its  discordant  ele- 
ments, and  had  sagaciously  concentrated  his  mixed  army 
in  Nuuanu  Valley,  in  the  rear  of  Honolulu.  There  he 
would  fight  and  fall,  battling  nobly  for  his  loved  isle  and 
his  beautiful  Kupule. 

Kaiana,  the  Maui  chieftain,  was  left  in  command  of 
the  rear  division  on  Molokai,  with  orders  from  Kame"- 
hame'ha  to  follow  on  later  in  the  day.  This  turbulent 
leader  had  a  force  of  three  thousand  men,  mostly  Puna 
soldiers  whom  he  had  commanded  during  his  later  cam- 
paign against  Keoiia.  He  had  won  sufficient  control 
over  his  men  from  the  "  rebellious  land  "  to  enable  him 
to  carry  them  with  him  in  his  contemplated  desertion  to 
Kalani. 

The  time  was  now  auspicious  for  Kaiana  to  put  his 
base  conspiracy  into  force.  Making  choice  of  some 
Oahu  men,  soldiers  taken  prisoners  at  the  battle  of  lao, 
Kaiana  embarked  them  in  a  swift  canoe,  with  directions 
to  follow  Kamehameha's  fleet  and  to  make  a  wide  detour 
when  the  army  landed,  if  it  were  not  too  dark  to  prevent 
discovery.  Keeping  on  their  course,  the  messengers  were 
to  land  at  Honolulu  and  inform  King  Kalani  that  Kaiana 
would  join  him  in  the  morning  with  three  thousand 
men  ;  and  together  they  would  destroy  the  proud  Kame'- 
hame"ha,  and  divide  his  great  kingdom  of  Hawaii. 


352  Kame'hameha  the  Great. 

It  was  a  strange  infatuation  which  led  this  able  gen- 
eral and  warlike  chief  to  think  he  could  overcome,  through 
treachery,  such  a  natural  leader  as  Kamehameha,  backed 
as  he  was  by  a  force  that  possessed  novel  and  decisive 
elements  of  advantage  over  the  whole  combined  armies 
of  the  islands.  But  such  was  Kaiana's  hatred  of  his 
noble  benefactor,  who  had  taken  the  exiled  Maui  alii 
into  his  court  and  council,  and  had  been  to  him  as  a 
brother,  that  the  deluded  chief  made  no  doubt  but  that 
his  traitorous  conspiracy  would  meet  with  success,  and 
redound  to  his  honor  by  leaving  him  King  of  Hawaii. 

When  the  last  sail  of  Kamehameha's  fleet  had  dipped 
down  over  the  blue  horizon,  the  war-conchs  about  Sandy 
Bay  were  blown  for  Kaiana's  army  to  embark.  Steering 
out  on  a  N.  E.  course  and  availing  themselves  of  the 
favoring  easterly  trades,  with  a  view  of  not  being  seen 
by  Kamehameha,  they  doubled  Cape  Mokapuu,  which  led 
them  in  the  direction  of  Kaneohe  Bay  in  the  Koolau  dis- 
trict. Hence  the  rebellious  army  could  join  Kalani's 
forces  on  the  following  day.* 

*  Nahiola,  another  of  the  three  treacherous  brothers,  was  with 
Kaiana,  while  Namakeha,  the  third  one,  got  up  a  conspiracy  on 
Hawaii  during  Kamehameha's  absence. 


XL. 


BATTLE    OF    NUUANU — KAIANA  SLAIN. 

AS  day  began  to  close  over  the  Hawaiian  camp,  sur- 
prise and  indignation  were  written  on  every  face 
at  the  unaccountable  delay  of  the  rear  division  under 
Kaiana.  Keeaumoku  had  previously  sent  up  one  of  his 
keen-eyed  guard  to  the  top  of  the  Kona  cliffs,  with 
instructions  to  signal  if  the  laggard  division  could  be 
discerned. 

The  sagacious  Young  now  went  out  on  Koko  Point, 
with  an  anxiety  about  the  matter  which  he  dared  not  ex- 
press. He  was  soon  followed  by  the  king,  and  together 
they  scanned  the  glittering  waters  of  the  Kaiwi  Sea  with- 
out discovering  the  gleam  of  a  single  sail  in  the  slant  rays 
of  the  setting  sun. 

After  a  searching  look  over  the  wide  expanse  of  sea 
the  questioning  eyes  of  the  English  sailor  met  those  of 
the  irate  king,  and  each  interpreted  the  unspoken  male- 
dictions of  the  other  regarding  this  basest  of  military 
crimes. 

With  a  low  gutteral  laugh,  almost  demoniacal  in  its 
expression  of  hatred  for  the  subject  of  his  thoughts,  the 
king  broke  the  painful  silence  which  was  becoming  un- 
bearable to  both  : 

"  E  hele  maiy  puna  hele  ! — Come  hither,  bosom  com- 
panion." The  two  took  their  seats  upon  one  of  the  black 
lava  rocks  facing  the  vacant  sea.  "  He  pilikia  nui  keia  ! 

353 


354  Kamfhamfha  the  Great. 

— This  is  a  great  difficulty  "  ;  and  the  king's  eyes  flashed, 
and  his  full  lips  curled  with  a  sneer  that  insured  a  ter- 
rible punishment  for  Kaiana,  should  time  ever  bring  the 
opportunity. 

"  Does  your  majesty  think  Kaiana  has  deserted  to  the 
enemy  ?" 

"  I  think  just  as  you  do.  The  scoundrel  has  gone  to 
join  Kalani  ? " 

"  What  is  your  manao  (thought)  in  this  dilemma  ?  " 

"  John  Young  !  there  shall  not  be  an  hour's  delay.  We 
will  rather  march  all  the  earlier,  to  show  our  contempt  of 
this  pilikia" 

"  Should  we  not  make  some  new  disposition  of  our 
forces  for  the  night  ?  " 

"  You  are  right,  my  puna  hele !  Train  one  of  your 
guns  to  cover  the  landing,  and  to  protect  our  canoes. 
Mount  two  of  your  cannon  in  the  gap  yonder  through 
the  Kona  hills,  lest  the  cunning  Alii  seek  to  surprise  us 
in  the  night." 

The  two  walked  silently  back  to  meet  Keeaumoku, 
who  was  seen  coming  to  make  his  adverse  report  from 
the  look-out  on  the  high  Kona  hills. 

"  Well,  noble  Alii,  where  is  our  rear  division  of  the 
Puna  men  ?" 

"  I  hope  my  king  will  not  care  if  Kaiana  has  deserted. 
Better  that  it  should  happen  now  than  in  the  presence  of 
the  enemy." 

Again  the  same  low,  diabolical  laugh  grated  upon  the 
ears  of  the  two  commanders,  fit  expressions  of  the  king's 
hatred  of  Kaiana's  perfidious  act. 

Keeaumoku  was  ordered  to  station  the  Guards  upon 
the  rising  ground  in  the  direction  of  Leahi  (Diamond 
Head),  in  case  the  Oahuans  should  contemplate  a  night 
attack  from  that  direction. 


Marching  upon  Kalani.  355 

But  the  night  passed  in  quiet  without  any  thing  occur- 
ring to  disturb  the  repose  of  the  slumbering  army.  The 
shore-watch,  belonging  to  Young's  battery,  reported  a 
few  canoes  seen  in  the  offing  about  midnight,  spying 
upon  the  Hawaiians  to  report  any  night  movement  of 
their  forces. 

Some  hours  before  dawn  all  were  astir  in  the  camp, 
partaking  of  an  early  breakfast  of  fish  and/<?/,  prepara- 
tory to  marching  up  Nuuanu  Valley.  There  the  return- 
ing scouts  reported  that  Kalani's  army  was  encamped, 
mostly  behind  a  fortified  position,  three  miles  in  the  rear 
of  Honolulu. 

Orion  was  dipping  his  yellow  sword-belt  in  the  western 
sea,  and  Venus,  the  hoku  aloha  loa — the  universal  love- 
star — sung  her  morning  song  from  out  the  pearly  orient 
to  the  broadening  dawn.  The  Hawaiian  army,  twelve 
thousand  strong,  emerged  from  the  whispering  palm 
groves  of  Waikiki,  in  full  view  of  the  deserted  homes  of 
Honolulu.  All  was  silent  there  ;  not  even  a  rooting  pig 
or  a  yelping  cur  remained  to  greet  the  invaders. 

Deploying  into  the  plain  as  they  passed  the  frowning 
hill  of  Punch  Bowl,  which  yet  cast  a  grim  shadow  over 
the  early  morning,  the  army  halted  along  the  banks  of 
the  small  mountain  stream  that  runs  valleyward  to  the 
sea.  During  the  hour  of  refreshment  a  guard  was  placed 
over  the  canoes  in  the  harbor. 

The  great  chiefs  clustered  about  the  king  after  their 
simple  repast.  Kamehameha  waited  for  another  report 
from  the  reconnoissance  sent  up  the  valley,  ere  announ- 
cing his  line  of  march  and  order  of  battle. 

Word  was  at  length  brought  that  the  Oahuans  had 
retired  behind  their  fortifications,  where  they  quietly 
awaited  the  Hawaiians.  The  army  corps  of  deserters 


356  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

under  Kaiana  was  stationed  on  the  left  wing,  in  position 
farthest  up  the  valley.  The  combined  army  of  Oahu 
numbered  about  eight  thousand  men,  and  was  marshalled 
under  three  leaders  from  as  many  different  kingdoms. 

As  the  sun  burst  over  Waolani,  and  lit  up  the  far- 
famed  vale  of  Nuuanu  with  his  welcome  beams,  Kame- 
hameha  gave  the  order  to  advance.  The  Hawaiians 
marched  in  three  lines  of  four  thousand  men  each.  As 
they  neared  the  entrenched  camp  of  Oahu,  Kamehameha 
took  pride  in  displaying  the  discipline  and  soldierly  bear- 
ing of  his  army. 

Ordering  a  halt,  the  whole  army  was  simultaneously 
deployed  into  a  new  order  of  battle,  previously  agreed 
upon.  Forming  his  centre  into  a  huge  phalanx,  flanked 
with  double  line  of  spearsmen  and  slings,  the  king  with 
his  staff  of  war  chiefs  and  the  battery  of  four  cannon, 
with  Young  and  his  artillery-men,  were  enclosed  in  the 
great  hollow  square.  Keeaumoku  and  his  one  thousand 
giants  formed  the  front  of  the  phalanx,  the  colossal  war- 
rior commanding  the  central  division. 

The  right  wing  was  commanded  by  Kalaimoku  (Billy 
Pitt),  a  relative  of  Kalani  and  brother  of  Boki.  A  sa- 
gacious statesman  and  successful  warrior,  he  was  soon 
after  made  premier  in  place  of  Kaiana. 

Kameeimoku  commanded  the  left  wing,  a  formidable 
and  ferocious  warrior.  It  was  he,  as  we  have  seen,  who 
captured  the  "  Fair  American  " — an  outrage  which  led 
to  Kamehameha's  detaining  Young,  whose  aid  in  this 
conquest  was  more  important  than  that  of  any  of  the 
great  war  chiefs. 

Thus  formed,  the  Hawaiian  army  marched  close  up  to 
the  rampart  wall  of  coral  rock,  behind  which  Kalani, 
Kaumualii,  and  Kaiana  had  marshalled  their  three  com- 


Negotiating  before  the  Fight.  357 

combined  armies  from  the  three  islands  of  Oahu,  Hawaii, 
and  Kauai. 

When  called  to  a  halt,  Naihe,  the  national  orator  and 
court  diplomat,  was  sent  forth  to  offer  peace  and  agree 
upon  terms  of  surrender.  The  smooth-tongued  courtier 
bore  a  ki  leaf,  as  flag  of  truce,  and  advanced  into 
the  open  space  between  the  armies  until  met  by  Boki, 
the  commander-in-chief  under  Kalani.  Each  chief  in- 
troduced himself  with  great  ostentation,  though  they 
were  well  known  to  each  other. 

"Aloha,  alii  kiekie  !  (love  to  you,  noble  chief  !),  I  am 
Naihe,  the  great  orator  of  Hawaii,  and  councillor  to  my 
king.  Kamehameha,  king  of  all  the  Windward  Islands 
by  right  of  conquest,  requests  me  to  speak  kindly  to 
your  young  king  about  surrendering  Oahu." 

Boki  bowed  politely  and  replied  :  "Aloha,  alii  kiekie  ! 
The  warrior  before  you  is  Boki,  commander-in-chief 
under  Kalani,  and  councillor  to  the  mighty  king.  If 
Kamehameha  comes  to  request  our  recognition  of  your 
Windward  conquest  we  shall  be  glad  to  entertain  him 
royally,  but  if  you  seek  another  kingdom  you  surprise 
us.  If  you  come  for  war,  you  amaze  us,  for  when  did 
the  king  of  Oahu  ever  decline  the  pleasure  of  a  battle  ?  " 

"  Most  noble  Boki,  you  are  a  man  of  wit  and  elo- 
quence. Nuuanu  is  indeed  a  pleasant  place  for  a  kaua- 
awa — bitter  contest.  It  must  remind  you  of  the  dreadful 
1  Vale  of  lao,'  where  we  dammed  the  waters  with  dead 
Oahuans." 

"  Whoever  comes  to  take  Nuuanu  will  see  a  worse 
paniwai — stopping  the  waters — than  at  lao,  where  there 
were  more  dead  Hawaiians,  if  I  remember  rightly,  than 
of  our  people." 

"  Noble  Boki,  how  fleet  a  •  thing  is  memory  !     Have 


358  Kamikamika  the  Great. 

you  also  forgotten  the  lost  battle  of  Kohala  where  we 
destroyed  your  fleet  and  set  your  king  a-running  ?  " 

"  Some  little  misfortune  did  happen  there,  owing  to 
your  three  cannon,  stolen  from  the  foreigners.  Strange 
that  you  should  still  remember  that  little  affair." 

"  We  have  a  fine  day  for  a  little  brush,  and  as  your 
people  are  at  home  there  will  be  nothing  to  call  you  hur- 
riedly away  from  battle,  as  on  the  two  previous  occasions." 

"  Be  sure,  Naihe,  we  will  entertain  you  well  to-day." 

"  But  the  morning  passes.  What  shall  I  say  to  my 
king  about  your  surrender  ?  " 

"  Say  to  the  mighty  Kamehameha  that,  rather  than 
surrender,  we  will  die  to  the  last  man,  fighting  for  our 
fair  isle  of  Oahu." 

"  Must  I  take  back  this  message  to  Kamehameha  ? 
The  wrath  of  the  '  Lonely  One  '  will  be  dreadful."  There 
was  no  response.  "  Then  aloha  !  Come  and  join  us  in 
a  calabash  of  poi  after  the  battle." 

"Aloha !  Naihe.  If  your  wounds  are  troublesome 
after  the  fray,  our  doctor,  Koleamoku  will  dress  them  for 
you.'' 

With  smiles  and  bows  the  courteous  chieftains  parted 
and  returned  to  their  respective  kings.  Ere  the  sun  went 
down  that  day  one  of  them  was  cut  to  the  ground  by  a 
fearful  sword-stroke,  inflicted  by  his  diplomatic  brother 
of  the  morning. 

Kamehameha  frowned  till  his  massive  forehead  was 
like  the  corrugated  flank  of  a  volcano.  He  towered 
with  yet  more  awful  might  and  majesty  as  he  listened  to 
Naihe's  version  of  Boki's  ironic  reply.  A  savage  ferocity 
spoke  in  the  king's  angry  gestures  as  he  gave  his  orders 
in  a  terrible  voice  that  reverberated  from  crag  to  crag 
like  distant  thunder.  This  display  of  savage  frenzy 


Kalani  the  Warrior.  359 

made  an  impression  upon  Kaiana  and  his  Hawaiian  de- 
serters that  boded  no  good  to  Oahu's  cause. 

Though  Kalani  was  incapable  of  personal  fear,  yet  his 
face  was  flushed  and  his  eyes  ablaze  as  he  saw  the  fright- 
ful mood  of  his  rival.  He  enjoyed  the  terrific  vehemence 
of  his  foe,  and  his  excitement  was  that  of  a  born  warrior, 
impatient  as  a  leashed  hound  for  the  coming  clash  of 
arms. 

Not  in  all  his  army  of  heroic  men  was  there  a  figure  so 
noble,  a  presence  at  once  so  elegant,  so  commanding, 
and  so  brave,  as  Kalani's.  Descended  from  the  Spanish 
cavalier  who  was  wrecked  on  Pele  Point,  at  Hawaii,  cen- 
turies before  Cook's  rediscovery,  he  sprang  from  a  long 
line  of  warrior  kings  ;  and  his  wavy  hair  had  the  grace- 
ful terminal  curl  of  his  ancestor,  the  proud  hidalgo  of 
long  ago. 

Kaiana  stood  sullen  and  savage  beside  the  Oahu  king. 
His  seven  feet  of  stature  gave  him  a  little  the  advantage 
of  Kalani.  The  traitor  chief  was  arrayed  in  a  sumptuous 
red  mamo  ;  it  made  a  strong  contrast  to  the  radiant  gold 
of  the  king's  yet  more  costly  war  cloak.  No  one  could 
envy  Kaiana  his  situation  of  public  shame.  How  his 
burning  thoughts  must  have  seared  his  brain  as  he  stood 
there,  a  traitor  and  a  deserter  from  the  highest  place  of 
trust  in  the  gift  of  his  benefactor,  confronting  his  late 
lord  and  king  !  How  he  must  have  cursed  his  lack  of 
military  sagacity  as  he  saw  the  Oahuans  confronted  by 
such  odds  in  number  and  discipline.  He  well  knew  that 
the  battle  could  only  end  in  destruction  to  his  army  and 
death  to  himself. 

Kaumualii,  who  commanded  the  left  wing,  was  pallid 
as  his  olive  complexion  would  permit,  for  it  was  an  open 
secret  that  the  effeminate  king  of  Kauai  was  no  lover  of 


360  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

war.  Seeing  Kamehameha  in  such  ferocious  mood — for 
even  in  that  age  it  was  Napoleonic  for  great  leaders  to 
show  rage  before  their  enemies — Kaumualii  plucked  the 
rare  iiwi  feathers  from  his  royal  mamo,  as  a  rejected  lover 
tears  the  petals  from  the  rose  that  his  love  has  refused. 

All  was  now  ready  to  begin  the  battle.  The  front  of 
the  square  was  thrown  open  by  deploying  to  the  right 
and  left,  and  positions  were  taken  convenient  for  again 
closing  up  the  phalanx  in  case  of  a  strong  sortie  from  the 
fort.  This  movement  discovered  the  battery  of  four 
cannon  to  the  Oahuans  stationed  along  the  ramparts. 
Kalani  and  his  chiefs  had  previously  seen  the  guns  from 
the  hill-side,  where  the  king  had  taken  an  elevated  posi- 
tion to  overlook  the  battle. 

Kalani  was  arrayed  in  state  on  opening  the  battle,  as 
was  his  gigantic  rival  opposite  on  the  green  knoll.  He 
wore  his  splendid  mamo,  and  from  his  helmet  a  small 
crimson  plume  waved  in  the  freshening  trade-wind. 

Kamehameha  wore  his  magnificent  war  cloak.  His 
head  was  adorned  by  a  lofty  helmet,  elegantly  woven 
with  oo  feathers  and  decorated  with  strings  of  choicest 
seed-pearls,  the  rarest  gems  that  Hawaiian  divers  had 
gathered  for  a  thousand  years. 

Towering  above  his  herculean  chiefs,  no  one  could 
look  upon  the  colossal  king  without  a  thrill  of  admira- 
tion. Such  ease  and  grace  and  symmetry  in  one  so 
huge,  such  an  intellect  in  a  body  so  powerful,  awed  the 
beholders. 

Young  was  now  directed  to  open  the  battle  by  concen- 
trating the  fire  of  his  cannon  directly  on  the  coral  wall 
of  the  rampart,  in  the  line  of  Kalani  and  his  group  of 
chiefs  on  the  hill  above.  The  distance  being  short, 
every  discharge  of  the  plunging  shot  told  heavily  on  the 


Death  of  the  Traitor.  361 

porous  coral,  until  stone  by  stone  was  knocked  away  and 
a  breach  was  readily  made. 

Ordering  up  a  column  of  spears  from  each  wing  to 
be  in  readiness  to  receive  the  first  spear-cast  of  the 
Oahuans,  before  the  real  attack  was  made,  the  effect 
of  the  cannonade  was  watched  with  eagerness  by  the 
Hawaiians.  At  this  stage  of  the  battle  the  king  called 
Young  to  his  side,  leaving  Davis  in  charge  of  the  battery. 
Drawing  his  long  two-edged  sword,  with  smothered  rage 
Kamehameha  pointed  his  ponderous  blade  where  stood 
Kalani  and  his  chiefs  on  the  hill-side,  saying : 

"My  puna  hele  (bosom  friend),  look  at  that  beetle- 
browed  traitor ! " 

"  Ay,  sire.     At  the  right  hand  of  Oahu's  gallant  king." 

"  It  enrages  me  to  look  at  the  villain.  Kill  me  the 
troublesome  fellow,  if  you  would  be  made  an  alii  kapu 
nui  on  the  spot." 

"  I  '11  try,  my  king  ;  but  would  you  risk  harming  the 
noble  Kalani  ?  " 

"  Kill  me  Kaiana  !  and  let  the  gods  protect  Kalani," 
exclaimed  the  furious  monarch. 

Returning  to  his  battery,  Young  loaded  his  favorite 
piece  with  care,  and  elevated  the  gun  to  its  utmost  lift, 
high  up  over  the  rampart  wall  and  the  mass  of  heads  and 
spears  beneath.  Kneeling  on  the  grass  the  English 
boatswain  trained  his  cannon  with  the  utmost  precision 
on  the  royal  group,  freshened  his  priming,  swung  his 
portfire  to  impart  a  better  glow,  and  fired. 

Mingled  with  the  long-drawn  reverberation  was  heard 
a  crash  as  of  splintered  rock.  For  an  anxious  moment 
the  result  could  only  be  guessed  ;  for  the  smoke  gyrated 
curiously  over  the  scene  ;  now  swayed  to  one  side  by  the 
glad  shouts  of  the  invaders,  now  recoiling  slowly  back 
before  the  wails  of  the  afflicted  Oahuans. 


362  Kame'kame'ha  the  Great. 

At  length  the  sulphurous  cloud  lifted  majestically  over 
the  rampart  wall ;  it  rose  slowly  over  the  glittering  spear- 
points  of  the  soldiers,  over  the  grassy  hillside  and  gray 
lava  rocks,  and  revealed  Kalani  sadly  contemplating  the 
traitor  weltering  in  his  gore.  He  was  dead  on  the  very 
day  of  his  iniquity.  Not  another  chief  in  all  that  group 
was  harmed.* 

Wild  were  the  shouts  of  ten  thousand  Hawaiian  warri- 
ors, made  joyous  because  Kaiana  had  fallen  ;  the  great 
soldier  who  had  deserted  his  general  in  the  hour  of 
battle. 

As  a  black  storm-cloud  may  shine  with  quick  lightning 
in  the  hour  of  its  wrath,  so  the  grim  visage  of  Kame- 
hameha  gleamed  with  a  smile  of  sardonic  delight.  He 
unbent  his  savage  frown  and  brandished  his  glittering 
sword  in  the  morning  sun  as  the  preconcerted  signal  for 
the  assault,  shouting  to  Keeaumoku  : 

"E  hele,  Hawaii! — Advance,  Hawaii!  Who  wins 
yon  breach  the  battle  wins  !  " 

The  hoarse  voice  rang  loud  above  the  clang  of  battle, 
as  his  lusty  chiefs  sprang  to  the  front  and  led  their  spear- 
men into  the  ragged  opening  through  the  rampart  wall. 
A  thousand  wolfish  men  pressed  on  to  enter  where  not 
fifty  could  pass  in  line. 

While  yet  the  mad  columns  were  rushing  into  the 
breach,  the  king  failed  not  to  remember  the  divine  inter- 
position of  Pele.  He  turned  his  flashing  eyes  in  the 
direction  of  Loa's  far-off  flame  of  volcanic  blue,  and  made 
a  reverent  oblation  in  the  savage  gladness  of  his  heart. 

*  Young's  field-piece  knocked  the  stones  about  their  heads,  killed 
Kaiana,  and  so  disordered  the  men  that  they  broke  and  fled.  (Jarves, 
p.  181.)  Kaiana's  footprints,  still  kept  visible  by  others  standing  in 
them,  are  yet  shown  in  the  lava  rock  where  he  stood  to  cast  his  last 
spear. 


Knighting  Young.  363 

Next  to  Pele  there  was  another  deserving  thanks. 
Flinging  off  his  saffron-colored  mantle  upon  the  green- 
sward, and  shaking  his  ponderous  blade  hungrily  in  the 
air,  Kamehameha  called  lustily  for  Young. 

As  Young  advanced  he  exclaimed  with  pride  : 

"  A  chiefdom  !  Sire,  I  've  laid  the  traitor  low  !  " 

"  Hele  mat,  puna  hele  / — Come  here,  bosom  companion  ! 
Killed  as  well  as  our  good  blade  could  do  it !  Pele  sent 
the  missile  there,  but  yours  is  the  glory  and.  you  shall 
receive  the  reward.  Kneel,  good  foreigner  !  Though 
time  is  brief  we  name  you  Keone  Ana,  the  noble  chief. 
Now  up  and  batter  down  more  wall.'1 

The  sudden  death  of  the  traitor  made  a  most  favor- 
able opening  for  the  Hawaiians,  and  cast  such  dread 
over  the  allied  armies  of  Oahu  that  every  one  of  Kai- 
ana's  deserters  broke  ranks  and  fled  over  the  far  end  of 
the  rampart,  up  Nuuanu  Valley  to  the  giddy  precipice  at 
its  head.  These  cowards  were  quickly  followed  by 
thousands  of  Oahu's  panic-stricken  soldiers,  terror 
lending  utmost  speed  to  their  flight.  Grief  and  indigna- 
tion filled  Kalani  and  his  chiefs  as  they  beheld  the 
cowards  run  before  a  blow  had  been  struck  in  their 
ranks.  But  as  Keeaumoku  hurled  his  spearsmen  through 
the  breach,  they  were  met  with  fiery  ardor  by  the  great 
chiefs  of  Oahu,  who  loved  the  clash  of  weapons. 

For  long  hours  a  terrible  conflict  took  place.  It 
mattered  little  how  impetuously  the  disciplined  Hawaii- 
ans leaped  into  the  breach,  or  scaled  the  rampart  walls, 
they  were  everywhere  met  by  equal  bravery  and  equal 
skill.  The  rude  shelter  behind  which  the  Oahuans 
fought,  made  available  their  lesser  number,  and  they 
successfully  resisted  the  ceaseless  onset  of  the  attack. 

At  times  the  trained  Hawaiians  surged  through  the 


364  Kam4kam£ka  the  Great. 

breach  with  an  overwhelming  fury  that  bade  fair  to  carry 
all  before  them.  Then  Kalani's  voice  was  heard,  cheer- 
ing on  his  chiefs,  his  orders  ringing  like  bugle  notes 
along  the  front  of  battle.  Not  often  was  his  skilled 
sword  needed  in  the  ever- varying  fight,  but  when  a  foe- 
man  especially  worthy  of  his  steel  slashed  his  way 
through  all  opposition,  then  Kalani's  mamo  was  flung  off, 
and  wild  were  the  deeds  of  daring  the  valorous  king 
accomplished. 

When  once  the  breach  was  freed,  Kalani  sheathed  his 
dripping  sword  and  resumed  his  mamo,  falling  back  to  a 
position  where  he  could  watch  the  defence  and  send 
reinforcements  when  needed.  Once  Keone  Ana  and 
Kalani  thus  fought  for  a  moment.  Young,  exulting  in 
his  newly-attained  rank,  had  hewn  his  way  through  the 
breach  against  all  opposers.  But  these  great  swordsmen 
were  forced  apart  against  their  wishes,  for  the  chiefs 
of  both  sides  became  alarmed  for  their  leaders,  and 
pressed  forward  with  such  haste  as  to  separate  the  com- 
batants. 

Young  was  recalled  by  Kamehameha  and  ordered  to 
plant  his  battery  opposite  the  extreme  right  wall  of  the 
rampart,  Keeaumoku  being  left  to  assail  the  breach. 
Kamehameha  himself  commanded  the  assault,  showing 
that  it  was  intended  to  break  through  the  ramparts  in- 
stead of  being  the  feint  that  Kalani  supposed. 

Kaumualii,  the  young  king  of  Kauai,  commanded  the 
right  wing  of  the  Oahuans.  He  was  now  reinforced  by 
all  his  Kauai  men,  and  left  to  meet  the  emergency  as 
best  he  could.  After  an  hour's  cannonade  the  artillery 
breached  the  rampart,  when  a  furious  assault  was  made 
by  the  Giant  Guard,  led  by  Kamehameha  in  person, 
over-riding  all  resistance  in  an  instant.  Wild  were  the 


The  Men  of  Oahu  Defeated.  365 

yells  that  rang  from  the  breach  ?  Kamehameha's  pon- 
derous battle-axe  crushed  all  who  opposed  him,  as  he 
flamed  like  a  thunder-bolt  at  the  head  of  his  Guard,  him- 
self the  hugest  warrior  among  them  all.  The  "  Lonely 
One  "  taught  the  swiftest  blows  to  heart  and  head.  His 
very  shouts  appall  !  casting  a  sudden  palsy  over  the 
already  wavering  men  of  Kauai.  Suddenly  they  fell 
back  in  unmanly  confusion,  crying  out  like  cravens  : 
"Luka  lua  !  Luka  lua  ! — beaten,  beaten  !  " 

Kaumualii  was  slightly  wounded  at  the  close  of  the 
attack,  and  was  taken  prisoner  by  Kamehameha  himself, 
a  consummation  quite  to  the  liking  of  the  timid  young 
chief.  Before  night  this  effeminate  warrior  contrived  to 
escape  to  Kauai,  where  he  lived  to  rule  over  his  island 
kingdom.* 

When  it  was  known  to  the  wounded  remnant  of  Oahu's 
army  that  the  dread  Kamehameha  had  broken  through 
the  rampart  to  the  right,  and  was  leading  his  Giant 
Guard  down  upon  their  rear,  other  thousands  of  Oahu's 
timid  serfs  broke  ranks  and  ran  for  their  lives,  and  thus 
the  battle  of  Nuuanu  was  lost  through  the  feeble  resist- 
ance of  its  right  wing.  When  Kalani  saw  what  had 
happened,  he  steadily  withdrew  his  remaining  warriors, 
retreating  by  a  left  flank  movement  up  the  valley. 

There  yet  remained  to  Kalani  four  hundred  invincible 
chiefs,  greatly  attached  to  their  king,  warriors  who  loved 
the  clang  of  battle  as  the  breath  of  life,  together  with 
nearly  a  thousand  other  fighting  men.  These  were  now 

*  Kamehameha  subsequently  organized  7,000  men  to  take  Kauai, 
but  a  sudden  pestilence  broke  up  the  expedition.  Kaumualii  finally 
came  to  Oahu  and  ceded  his  island  to  the  conqueror,  by  whom  he 
was  reinstated,  ruling  in  fiefdom  under  him.  Kamehameha  II.  after- 
wards abducted  Kaumualii  and  married  him  and  his  son  to  the  arro- 
gant Kaahumanu,  thus  keeping  him  a  state  prisoner  for  life. 


366  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

called  off  from  the  breach  and  led  along  the  mountain 
path,  with  design  to  reach  the  Pdli.  This  precipice,  with 
the  deep  gorge  between  the  mountains,  was  the  spot  pre- 
viously chosen  by  Kalani  for  his  last  stand.  It  was  an 
inaccessible  pass,  where  the  few  could  withstand  the 
many,  and  sell  their  lives  dearly.  The  Hawaiians,  not 
apprehending  Kalani's  resolute  design,  were  left  to  press 
through  the  deserted  breach  and  take  possession  of  the 
camp  of  Oahu,  thus  losing  their  opportunity  to  head  off 
the  retreating  enemy  from  their  stronghold  at  the  Pdli. 

It  was  not  supposed  that  Kalani  would  retreat  far  up 
the  valley,  but  that  he  would  cross  the  western  mountain 
instead,  into  Waialua,  where  he  could  take  canoes  for 
Kauai,  as  did  several  of  the  noted  chiefs  of  Oahu.  The 
brave  king's  plan  had,  however,  ever  been  to  fall  back 
upon  the  Pdli  of  Nuuanu,  and  there  fight  unto  death,  de- 
fending the  last  rood  of  his  dear  vanquished  land. 


XLI. 

BATTLE  OF  THE  PALI  AND  DEATH  OF  KALANI. 

WHEN  Kamehame'ria  saw  that  Kalani  had  with- 
drawn his  forces  along  the  narrow  mountain 
path,  where  not  more  than  three  abreast  could  follow,  he 
sent  on  Keeaumoku  with  a  division  two  thousand  strong 
to  harass  the  retreat  and  crush  the  Oahuans  when  brought 
to  bay.  The  remaining  Hawaiians  were  suffered  to 
occupy  the  camp  of  Oahu,  and  partake  of  such  food  as 
could  be  found  for  famished  men.  But  while  they  sat 
devouring  their  food  with  avidity,  what  was  their  surprise 
to  see  Kalani's  army  leave  the  western  mountain  path 
and  cross  the  Nuuanu  Valley  in  the  direction  of  the  Pdli, 
which,  they  at  once  surmised,  had  been  previously  forti- 
fied and  provisioned  for  a  siege. 

Kamehameha  was  angry  and  annoyed  at  his  miscon- 
ception of  the  foe.  The  Hawaiians  were  quickly  called 
off  from  their  half-eaten  dinner,  reformed,  and  sent  up 
the  valley  with  orders  to  overtake  the  fugitives  and  give 
battle,  with  hopes  of  crushing  the  war-worn  force  before 
they  could  reach  the  mountain  pass. 

Kalani  had  debouched  into  the  valley  through  a  narrow 
gap  in  the  hills,  easily  defended  by  a  small  rear-guard  ; 
thus  Keeaumoku  was  held  in  check,  while  the  Oahuans 
crossed  the  Nuuanu  River  on  their  way  up  to  Waolani's 
sheltering  gorge. 

Kamehameha,  Keone  Ana,  Hewahewa,  and  a  large 
367 


368  Kamthamtka  the  Great. 

group  of  chiefs  remained  behind  with  the  Giant  Guard 
to  finish  their  dinner  ;  for  all  believed  that  the  main 
fighting  was  over,  and  that  Kalani  only  designed  to 
secure  a  mountain  covert  from  which  to  make  better 
terms  of  surrender.*  Even  the  conqueror  deemed  the 
day  was  won,  and  remained  in  camp,  leisurely  smoking 
and  relating  the  incidents  of  storming  the  ramparts,  little 
dreaming  that  hundreds  o'f  his  best  warriors  must  yet 
fall  before  Oahu's  heroic  king  was  subdued. 

Kalani  saw  the  Hawaiians  leave  camp  on  the  double- 
quick,  endeavoring  to  cut  him  off,  and  feared  for  his 
rear-guard,  which  was  still  holding  Keeaumoku  at  bay. 
Halting  in  a  strong  position  which  covered  his  retreat  to 
the  Pdli,  he  sent  back  orders  for  Boki  to  withdraw,  and 
fall  quickly  back  while  the  main  army  awaited  him  ; 
choosing  to  risk  a  battle  rather  than  the  safety  of  his 
loved  commander. 

When  the  Hawaiians  pressed  on  too  heedlessly  on  his 
retreat,  as  if  following  the  rout  of  a  panic-stricken  foe, 
Kalani  planted  himself  in  the  fore-front  of  his  column  of 
chiefs  and  hewed  his  way  into  the  thickest  of  the  melee, 
smiting  many  a  daring  chief  who  leaped  from  the 
Hawaiian  ranks  to  cross  swords  with  Oahu's  gallant  king. 
Many  a  noble  warrior  went  down  in  that  hour  before  the 
resistless  blows  of  the  finest  sword-fighter  upon  his  isle. 
Few  chiefs  had  yet  acquired  the  skilled  use  of  this 
new  weapon  of  war. 

Like  a  row  of  monstrous  gladiators  stood  the  great 
chiefs  around  their  loved  king.  He  was  cool  and  wary 
in  that  hour  of  slaughter,  wasting  no  strength  in  random 
blows.  Wherever  he  struck,  the  leaping  crimson  ran. 

At  length  Boki  joined  them  with  the  rear-guard,  while 

*  As  a  previous  king  had  done  when  Kahekili  conquered  Oahu. 


Retreat  to  the  Pali.  369 

Keeaumoku  was  pouring  down  through  the  mountain 
pass  with  his  superior  force,  which  could  easily  over- 
whelm the  Oahuans  in  an  open  fight.  Worn  and  wounded, 
Kalani  and  his  chiefs  withdrew  to  the  Pali  ;  their  foot- 
steps dyed  the  green  grass  and  mountain  flowers  as  they 
retreated. 

The  Oahuans  stood  at  last  in  Waolani's  rock-ribbed 
pass,  weary  and  hopeless  to  win  the  day  ;  though  still 
devoted  to  Kalani  with  a  barbaric  love  that  surpasseth 
the  wish  for  life  or  the  love  of  woman.  It  was  a  sight  to 
draw  tears  from  the  bare  lava  rocks  to  see  the  gnarled  old 
warriors,  through  all  the  sickening  slaughter  of  that 
memorable  day,  so  devoted  to  their  Alii,  the  image  of 
their  dead  king. 

Once  safely  within  the  cool  gorge  at  the  Pdlt,  Kalani 
formed  his  forlorn  hope  of  chiefs  into  six  lines  of  fifty 
men  each,  in  a  pass  where  fifty  war-loving  braves  could 
easily  keep  a  thousand  at  bay. 

Seeing  the  strength  of  the  position,  made  unassailable 
by  the  jutting  crags  of  Waolani  towering  above  and  be- 
hind the  Oahuans,  the  Hawaiians  fell  back  to  reform  and 
organize  for  a  swift  succession  of  assaults,  which  Keeau- 
moku saw  would  be  required  to  win  the  day  ;  well  know- 
ing their  fierce  king  would  suffer  no  rest,  until  the  last  of 
the  brave  Oahuans  were  dead  or  routed. 

Wearily  lifting  his  dark  eyes  up  to  the  rough  crag  which 
leaned  with  savage  friendliness  into  the  gorge,  Kalani 
discovered  Kupule,  his  loved  queen,  the  god-born  daugh- 
ter of  his  hated  rival.  At  the  beck  of  the  king,  the  queen 
and  her  maidens,  with  other  wahines  who  had  husbands 
and  brothers  below,  descended  with  water,  fruit,  and 
provisions  for  the  famished  warriors.  Not  one  among 
these  heroes  but  was  wounded  and  needed  more  or  less 
attention. 


Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

Kneeling  in  a  pool  of  blood,  Kupule  supplied  food  to 
the  king,  who  had  cast  off  his  mamo  and  flung  himself 
down  in  the  crisp  shadow  of  the  beetling  crag,  where  the 
strong  trade-winds  blew  merrily  through  the  gorge. 
Manona  and  Lelu,  the  queen's  wahines,  soothed  the 
king's  wounds  with  ti  leaves,  while  Kupule  tore  up 
her  own  tapa  garment  to  bind  them  and  those  of  his 
chiefs. 

Weary,  haggard  smiles  were  the  best  Kalani  could 
bestow  upon  his  darling.  It  was  an  hour  of  voiceless  sor- 
row to  all.  The  queen  was  so  crushed  by  her  grief,  she 
could  only  press  her  fond  kisses  upon  the  dear  hand 
that  patted  her  cheek  and  stroked  her  tresses  in  token 
of  heart-broken  agony. 

An  hour  of  rest  and  refreshment  was  followed  by  a 
furious  clash  of  arms,  too  confused  and  chaotic  to  be 
described.*  At  length  there  came  a  pause  in  the  long- 
continued  battle.  The  demoralized  Hawaiians  were 
called  off  to  prepare  for  some  more  concentrated  effort 
to  save  the  day. 

Kamehameha  determined  to  press  the  assault,  and 
sent  forward  the  Giant  Guard  to  finish  the  long-delayed 
work.  The  retardation  of  his  hard-earned  victory  had 
at  first  amazed  him.  It  now  aroused  his  anger.  The 
stubborn  defence  not  only  delayed  the  conquest,  but 
was  fast  depriving  him  of  the  best  warriors  in  his  army. 
He  now  called  upon  the  cool,  sagacious  Young  to  save 
the  day,  and  also  the  life  of  Kalani,  if  compatible  with 
immediate  victory.  Yet  the  king's  orders  were  peremp- 
tory to  capture  the  pass,  at  whatever  cost  of  life. 

*'  Keone  Ana  !  take  the  Guard  and  win  the  pass,  or 
never  come  back  again." 

*  See  the  author's  "  Kalani  of  Oahu  "  for  a  fuller  description,  at  p. 
377- 


Young-  Leads  the  Guard.  371 

The  reply  of  the  burly  boatswain  was  prompt  and  to 
the  purpose  : 

"  Aye,  aye,  my  king,  it  shall  be  done.  Shall  I  save 
the  gallant  king,  who  has  fought  so  well,  or  shall  I  bring 
his  head  upon  a  spear  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  brave  man,  you  know  my  heart  ever  warms  for 
the  brave.  What  a  hero  is  Kalani  !  He  is  the  husband 
of  my  Pelelulu.*  But  away,  and  win  me  the  battle,  or 
come  back  no  more." 

Young  bowed  in  silence,  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
the  Giant  Guard,  and  gave  the  word  "  Forward  ! " 
None  better  than  he  knew  the  almost  womanly  tender- 
ness of  the  monarch's  heart.  Often  had  the  king  folded 
him  to  his  breast  for  some  heroic  act  or  kindly  deed. 
Yet,  as  his  mighty  warriors  swept  past  up  the  valley 
toward  the  defile  that  led  to  death  or  victory,  there  was 
a  look  of  savage  resolution  on  his  face  that  was  dreadful 
to  look  upon.  It  awed  the  chiefs  before  him  as  he  re- 
peated his  fierce  orders  to  each  : 

"  Lead  your  men  against  yon  beardless  boy  and  win 
the  pass,  or  leave  your  carcasses  among  the  slain." 

"  Aloha,  Moi  nui  !  "  f  was  the  cry  of  the  thousand 
warriors.  But  three  hundred  of  them  were  left  dead  in 
the  Pali  before  the  "  boy  king "  went  down  on  that 
memorable  day. 

A  brief  hour  passed,  then  a  wail  for  some  royal  dead 
smote  on  the  ear,  rolling  down  the  valley  like  a  funeral 
knell,  announcing  the  fall  of  Kalani.  The  shock  of  a 
sudden  earthquake  ran  quivering  through  the  kingless 
land.  Instantly  Kamehameha  turned  his  reverent  eyes 
toward  distant  Loa,  uttering  his  glad  oblation  to  Pele, 
the  divine  author  of  all  his  successes.  He  little  knew 

*  The  previous  name  of  Queen  Kupule.     f  Love  to  you,  great  king. 


372  Kam/hamtfia  the  Great. 

that  he  might  have  been  a  vanquished  king  that  day  had 
not  Kalani  rejected  Pele's  proffered  aid. 

Hewahewa  fell  obsequiously  upon  his  knees,  bellowing 
forth  his  loud-mouthed  prayer  to  the  goddess.  The 
king  and  priest  had  paced  the  bank  of  the  mountain 
stream  in  unspoken  agony,  for  Loa  had  long  burned  a 
red-flamed  torch  for  love  of  Kalani,  as  if  Pele  had  de- 
serted the  Hawaiians,  and  the  god  of  battles  had  decreed 
that  Oahu  should  win  at  last. 

Calling  upon  his  chiefs  to  follow,  with  long  strides  the 
black-browed  king  led  the  way  to  the  Pdli,  curious  to  be- 
hold the  place  of  strife  where  the  few  had  found  it  pos- 
sible to  slaughter  so  many. 

They  were  met  by  Keeaumoku  bringing  down  the 
costly  mamo  of  the  dead  king,  hacked  and  pierced  by  a 
hundred  cuts  and  stabs.  This,  with  the  cleft  plume  of 
the  slain  monarch,  was  brought  as  hard-earned  trophies 
of  victory  to  Kamehameha,  who  gazed  with  momentary 
interest  upon  them,  and  passed  the  royal  emblems  to 
Hewahewa  for  safe-keeping  in  the  temple  of  Waikiki. 

Climbing  over  his  dead  soldiers,  heaped  from  crag  to 
crag  across  the  rocky  pass,  Kamehameha's  rough  face 
began  to  look  more  furrowed  than  ever,  so  saddened  it 
was  at  beholding  these  loved  chiefs  among  the  dead. 

Descending  from  this  ghastly  rampart  into  the  ravine 
beyond,  there,  over  the  fallen  king  and  his  dead  queen, 
stood  brave  John  Young,  leaning  on  his  red-bladed 
sword  above  the  royal  pair,  fallen  in  their  strength  and 
their  beauty.  He  was  weeping  with  bowed  head  over 
the  cruel  deed  that  he  had  accomplished. 

Not  until  that  moment  did  Kamehameha  know  that 
Pelelulu  had  died  broken-hearted,  clinging  there  fast  to 
her  heroic  king — both  gone  forever  from  earthly  sor- 


The  King's  Grief.  373 

rows.  As  the  conqueror  picked  his  way  down  over  the 
dead  Hawaiians,  and  beheld  the  fallen  hero  clasped  in 
the  dead  arms  of  his  queen — lying  beautiful  as  a  flower, 
even  in  death, — the  pride  of  his  might  gave  way  and  he 
abandoned  himself  to  a  fond*  father's  grief  over  his 
much-loved  daughter. 

Long  and  loud  wailed  the  "  Lonely  One  "  over  his 
dead  child,  whom  he  loved  with  something  more  than 
parental  affection  because  of  her  kinship  to  Pele.  Drop- 
ping upon  his  knees  beside  the  royal  pair  the  grim  war- 
rior kissed  them  both  as  they  lay  embraced  so  tenderly 
in  death.  He  covered  his  giant  head  with  his  feather 
mantle,  to  hide  his  sorrow  and  the  loved  dead  together. 
The  king  and  savage  warrior  sobbed  aloud  in  agony, 
weeping  like  a  tender  child  who  is  orphaned  by  sudden 
death. 

Kneeling  with  his  bare  knees  in  their  blood  Kame- 
hameha  prostrated  himself  in  utter  abandonment.  At 
length  the  loud-voiced  grief  of  the  crowd  ceased  to  be 
heard  in  the  gorge,  where  only  the  subdued  sobs  of  a 
more  bitter  anguish  rose  and  fell  beneath  the  mamo. 

Then  a  murmur  of  discontent  arose  among  the  chiefs, 
because  the  king's  grief  was  not  more  considerate  of 
circumstances,  for  the  sun  was  near  his  setting.  None 
of  his  own  chiefs,  however,  dared  intrude  upon  him,  lest 
in  a  moment  of  frenzy  he  should  cut  them  down  with  his 
sabre.  As  Keone  Ana  was  becoming  too  powerful,  too 
much  beloved  by  the  king  to  be  in  good  savor  with  the 
more  ambitious  chiefs,  he  was  prevailed  upon  by  some 
who  loved  him  least  to  adventure  upon  the  dangerous  task. 
Readily  did  the  English  sailor  undertake  the  sad  office. 
Kneeling  tenderly  down  beside  Kame"hameha,  Young 
lifted  the  mamo  and  found  the  rough  cheek  of  the  sav- 


374  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

age  warrior  pressed  lovingly  against  the  dead  daughter's, 
and  clasping  the  cold  sword-hand  of  Kalani  in  his  own. 

But  how  is  this?  The  two  war-worn  veterans  are 
again  sobbing  aloud  over  the  royal  pair.  The  king  has 
drawn  the  English  chief  under  the  mamo,  and  together 
they  weep  as  over  a  new-found  sorrow.  Kamehameha 
well  knew  that  this  was  the  only  man  who  could  appre- 
ciate his  loss  and  the  motives  of  his  sorrow.  For  it  was 
the  thought  of  both  in  that  hour  that  it  were  better  to 
have  left  Kalani  to  rule  over  his  beautiful  kingdom,  and 
to  enjoy  the  love  of  his  darling  queen,  than  that  both 
should  lie  there  dead,  as  the  price  of  Hawaiian  victory. 

Young  whispered  to  the  king  that  the  day  was  nearly 
done,  and  some  disposition  should  be  made  of  the  royal 
dead  before  darkness  shut  down. 

Instantly  Kamehameha  rose  up  to  find  himself  con- 
fronted by  curious  eyes,  eager  to  witness  a  warrior  king 
weeping  like  a  wahine  over  the  results  of  his  conquest. 
The  Giant  Guard  had  just  returned  from  their  work  of 
slaughter  at  the  Pali's  brink,  where  they  had  hurled  a 
thousand  warriors  over  the  awful  cliff,  and  they  now 
stood  arrayed  in  line  waiting  to  receive  their  king's 
praises  for  having  won  the  pass,  killed  Kalani,  and  slain 
every  Oahu  soldier. 

Kamehameha  frowned  upon  them  all  as  if  they  had 
done  him  some  grievous  wrong.  He  saw  that  their  faces 
were  full  of  savage  exultation  at  their  deed.  With  his 
heart  full  of  sorrow,  the  king  was  in  no  mood  to  glorify 
soldiers  who  smiled  while  he  was  weeping  for  his  loved 
dead. 

Turning  away  from  his  favorite  soldiers  Kamehameha 
took  off  his  feather  mantle  and  spread  it  tenderly  over 
the  royal  pair.  Speaking  aloud,  that  all  might  hear,  he 


Celebrating  the  Victory.  375 

bade  Young  take  charge  of  their  bodies,  and  permit  none 
to  look  upon  them  while  they  should  be  removed  to  the 
palace  for  the  night. 

At  that  moment  a  sorrowing  maiden,  almost  as  beauti- 
ful as  the  dead  queen,  leaped  down  from  the  crag,  pros- 
trating herself  at  the  king's  feet,  while  almost  frantic 
with  grief  she  clasped  his  knees.  The  wondering  king 
bent  down  and  raised  the  grief-stricken  wahine.  She 
pleaded  piteously  that  she  might  be  the  Moe  pu  of  the 
queen,  and  die  with  her  loved  mistress. 

Looking  down  on  the  sweet  vision  before  him,  the 
piercing  eyes  of  the  king  read  the  maiden's  heart  like  a 
printed  page,  and  for  a  moment  he  joined  tears  with 
hers.  Learning  that  the  chiefess  was  Manona,  the  puna 
hele  of  the  dead  queen,  the  huge  monarch  stooped  and 
embraced  the  beautiful  girl,  kissed  her  tearful  eyes,  so 
like  his  Pelelulu's,  and  bid  her  take  up  her  abode  at  the 
Nuuanu  palace. 

"Manona,  keep  with  the  dead  queen.  Follow  her 
down  the  valley  and  make  your  home  in  the  house  of  the 
wahines.  You  are  henceforth  the  queen  of  Kamehame- 
ha.  It  shall  be  death  to  whomsoever  abides  not  by  this 
mandate  !  "  * 

Lowering  his  resonant  voice  to  a  hoarse  whisper  that 
echoed  ghost-like  among  the  crags,  he  continued  : 

4<  Wahine  Moi,  cross  not  the  path  of  Kaahumanu,  lest 
she  tear  your  dark  hair,  as  a  mad  tempest  claws  the  sea. 
My  "  Feather  Mantle  "  is  jealous  when  I  bestow  affec- 
tion upon  another.  But  fear  not,  little  darling,  for  I  will 
protect  the  bosom  friend  of  my  daughter." 

Recalling  his  imperious  soul  to  martial  affairs,  the 
king  now  gave  his  orders  brief  and  fast : 

*  More  than  one  great  chief  was  killed  for  not  heeding  a  warning 
like  this. 


376  Kamekame'Jia  the  Great. 

"Ho!  Hewahewa." 

The  high-priest  elbowed  his  way  from  the  crowd  of 
chiefs  and  stood  with  assumed  humility  before  his  arro- 
gant master. 

"  Kahuna,  take  charge  of  Hawaii's  dead  chiefs  and 
give  them  all  noble  burying." 

"  Hewahewa  will  do  your  utmost  bidding.  What  may 
be  your  pleasure  about  Oahu's  gallant  dead  ?  " 

"  Cleave  off  their  heads  to  awe  the  yelping  crowd  on 
the  mountain.  Feed  their  headless  bodies  to  Moa-alii — 
the  dread  sea-god, — and  impale  the  chiefs'  heads  upon 
their  spear-points,  planting  them  thick  as  palm-trees 
about  the  Waikiki  heidu." 

"  What  is  your  will  about  the  royal  dead  ? " 

"  Keone  Ana  has  charge  of  the  brave  Kalani  and  my 
dead  daughter.  Render  their  remains  the  utmost  honors 
due.  She  is  a  Hawaiian  princess — an  Alii  pio;  he,  the 
noblest  warrior-king  of  his  martial  isle." 

"  A  kapu  kane  should  darken  all  the  land." 

"Yes.  To-morrow  a  hundred  living  victims  bleed. 
Make  sacrifice  of  an  untold  holocaust  to  Pele,  the  much- 
loved  deity,  who  has  remembered  us  to-day.  Make  your 
.  tabu  most  terrible  to  look  upon,  lasting  from  moon  to 
moon.  But  hark  you,  priest !  Leave  Nuuanu  and  the 
adjacent  sea  untouched,  unterrified.  We  who  have 
fought  and  won  must  feast  and  make  merry  to  express 
our  joy  to  Pele.  But  make  your  wailing  at  the  heidu 
long  and  loud.  Bid  every  kahuna  tear  his  hair  and  beat 
his  breast,  for  boundless  sorrow  and  prayer  are  due  the 
noble  dead." 

"  Hewahewa  has  heard  the  wishes  of  the  king,  and " 

"  Away  !  Have  done  with  that.  Keeaumoku  !  Where 
is  the  noble  Alii?" 


Repose  in  Victory.  377 

"  Here,  my  king." 

"Alii  nut!  Deploy  your  guard  to  watch  the  sneaking 
mountain  foe,  lest  the  cowardly  serfs  steal  canoes  and 
escape  to  Kauai.  Bid  Kalaimoku  camp  the  war-worn 
army  behind  the  ramparts  in  Nuuanu,  where  food  and 
shelter  may  be  found  for  the  night.  Let  tender  hands 
remove  the  wounded  Naihe  to  the  palace  if  his  spear- 
pierced  body  will  permit.  Send  Hoapili  with  a  squad  of 
the  Guard  to  patrol  the  palace  grounds.  Aloha  /  noble 


"  Aloha  !  my  king.     It  shall  be  done." 

"  Come,  chiefs,  companions  in  arms  ;  let  us  be  gone. 
The  day  is  waning,  and  a  feast  of  ilio  poli  awaits  us  in 
Nuuanu's  pleasant  vale." 


XLII. 

CONCLUSION. 

THIS  final  victory  at  the  Nimanu  Pali  was  decisive  ; 
war  never  again  defiled  the  fair  isle  of  Oahu. 
The  conqueror  now  came  into  possession  of  all  the  group 
but  Kauai  and  the  diminutive  island  of  Niihau.  To 
complete  his  conquest  Kamehameha  soon  after  embarked 
seven  thousand  men  for  Kauai,  the  recruited  ranks  of 
his  shattered  army,  for  he  had  lost  six  thousand  of  his 
brave  Hawaiians  during  the  recent  conflict.*  A  furious 
gale  compelled  the  expedition  to  return.  It  was  not 
necessary  for  it  to  set  out  a  second  time  ;  for  Kaumualii 
subsequently  came  to  Honolulu  and  voluntarily  resigned 
his  kingdom,  which  he  governed  thereafter  as  a  vassal 
to  KAmehameha. 

Th?  authority  of  Kamehameha  was  made  absolute  by 
the  conquest.  By  the  ancient  usage  of  Hawaii  he  now 
becane  the  sole  lord  and  proprietor  of  the  soil.  He  dis- 
pensed favors  with  an  affluent  hand,  apportioning  estates 
and  districts  among  his  faithful  chiefs,  according  to  their 
rank  and  deserts,  on  the  feudal  tenure  of  rendering  mili- 
tary service  and  contributions  from  all  the  revenues  of 
their  1  >olding. 

Each,  large  island  was  allotted  its  governor,  who  ap- 

*  See  Jarves'  "  History,"  p.  182.  Kamehameha  lost  6,000  of  his 
troops,  »\nd  the  enemy's  loss  was  far  greater. 

378 


Lord  of  Eight  Isles.  379 

pointed  the  head  chiefs,  tax-collectors,  and  other  petty 
officers,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  king.  The  islands 
were  divided  into  districts,  districts  into  towns  and  vil- 
lages, and  these,  in  turn,  were  subdivided  into  farms  and 
plantations,  each  being  duly  apportioned  with  mountain, 
valley,  and  forest  land,  with  fair  allotments  of  sea-shore 
and  fisheries  for  all  the  people.  Governors  and  coun- 
cillors were  chosen  from  the  most  trusty  of  his  warriors. 
A  regular  cabinet  and  a  minister  of  state  were  appointed, 
and  merit  more  than  rank  was  the  passport  to  favor. 

The  gigantic  Keeaumoku,  who  had  rendered  the  most 
distinguished  services  of  any  of  his  chieftains — and  who 
was  also  the  father  of  three  of  his  queens  * — remained 
chief  councillor  and  head  of  the  army.  Kalaimoku,  the 
most  sagacious  statesman  among  the  nobles,  though  he 
was  of  inferior  rank  and  descended  from  the  Maui  kings, 
was  proclaimed  Kuhina  mti,  or  premier,  and  retained  his 
office  long  after  the  death  of  his  benefactor. 

Keone  Ana  was  made  Governor  of  Hawaii,  assuming 
his  office  immediately  after  the  rebellion  of  Namakeha, 
brother  of  the  traitor  Kaiana,  and  held  it  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  Kamehameha  and  of  his  successors  to  the  day  of 
his  death.  Kameeimoku  was  made  governor  of  Maui, 
while  Kananawa,  Hoapili,  Na,ihe,  Kekuanoa,  Kuakini, 
and  his  brother,  the  younger  Keeaumoku,  were  greatly 
distinguished  for  faithful  services.  Several  "  wise  men  " 
of  great  talent,  though  of  inferior  rank,  were  selected  to 
assist  in  organizing  laws  best  adapted  to  the  minor  affairs 
of  the  kingdom. 

Kamehameha  had  not  only  the  intuitive  perception  of 
character  which  enabled  him  to  choose  efficient  men  for 
every  department  of  government,  but  he  also  possessed 

*  Kaahumanu,  Kalakua,  and  Namahana. 


3 So  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

the  faculty  of  inspiring  others  with  his  own  generous 
sentiments  ;  and  thus  he  secured  hearty  cooperation  in 
his  wise  undertakings.  Famine,  caused  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  fruit-trees  and  vegetable  foods  during  the  long 
successive  wars,  bore  heavily  upon  the  oppressed  people 
for  a  time.  Natives  starved  to  death,  or  sometimes  were 
burnt  alive  by  their  chiefs  for  stealing  food  for  their 
starving  families.*  Yet  in  no  way  did  the  king  show  his 
humanity  and  administrative  ability  more  conspicuously 
than  by  the  example  which  he  gave  of  tilling  the  land 
with  his  own  hands,  and  raising  his  own  sustenance 
during  the  famine. \ 

In  public  affairs  he  consolidated  his  power,  and 
brought  order  out  of  chaos.  Turbulent  and  seditious 
chiefs  of  the  old  dynasties,  whose  ambitious  views  threat- 
ened to  disturb  the  new  order  of  thyigs,  were  withheld 
from  their  hereditary  estates  and  retained  about  the 
court,  being  compelled  to  follow  in  the  king's  train 
wherever  he  went.  With  these  refractory  nobles — most 
dangerous  men  to  deal  with  after  their  training  in  mur- 
derous misrule — the  king  affected  a  more  haughty  mien 
and  greater  state.  The  most  arbitrary  customs  of  the 
ancient  kings  were  revived  and  rigidly  enforced, — humili- 
ating ceremonies,  which  were  intended  to  increase  the 
awe  of  his  peaceful  subjects  and  humble  the  unsubmissive 
chiefs. 

It  was  proclaimed  that  heads  and  shoulders  must  be 
bared  whenever  the  king  passed,  or  when  one  approached 
the  palace  or  other  abode  honored  by  the  sovereign  for 

*  See  Jarves,  p.  182. 

f  See  Jarves,  p.  201.  He  labored  for  his  own  food,  and  compelled 
his  followers  to  work  likewise.  The  spot  he  tilled  is  at  Halawa,  on 
Hawaii. 


A  Wise  Despotism.  381 

the  time.  The  penalty  was  death  for  crossing  the  shadow 
of  the  king,  or  of  his  house.  To  assume  a  position  above 
where  he  was  standing  was  the  highest  crime  ;  and  for 
paying  too  special  attention  to  Kaahumanu,  a  chief  of 
high  rank  and  a  priest  both  lost  their  lives.*  By  this 
uniform  system  of  despotism  Kamehameha  broke  the 
power  of  the  petty  lords  and  greatly  ameliorated  the  op- 
pressed condition  of  the  people.  Though  chiefs  were 
permitted  retinues  suitable  to  their  rank,  they  were  for- 
bidden to  overtax  or  overwork  their  tenants,  or  to  main- 
tain bodies  of  armed  men.  By  suitable  rewards  the  king 
encouraged  skilful  artisans  among  the  various  handi- 
crafts. Nothing  was  too  trivial  for  him  to  investigate  ; 
nothing  that  affected  the  welfare  of  the  people  escaped 
this  lynx-eyed  man. 

Never,  indeed,  was  there  more  urgent  need  of  the  iron 
hand  of  a  despot  to  weld  together  the  conflicting  ele- 
ments of  a  conquered  people.  Having  assumed  the 
headship  of  the  Church  as  well  as  of  the  State  (much  to 
the  annoyance  of  Hewahewa),  Kamehameha  held  both 
the  scheming  priests  and  the  refractory  chiefs  to  an 
equally  strict  account.  He  maintained  the  tenets  of  the 
tabti  creed  to  the  last,  though  he  confessed  to  foreigners 
his  unbelief  in  the  divine  origin  of  his  heathen  gods. 
But  alas  !  it  was  his  misfortune  never  to  commune  with  a 
mind  of  sufficient  religious  ability  to  convince  him  of 
his  error  and  show  him  evidence  of  the  one  true  God. 
For  him  idolatry  was  a  subtle  power  by  which  to  govern 
a  superstitious  people,  and  priestcraft  contained  for  him 
more  of  policy  than  of  piety. 

*  Jarves',  Honolulu  edition,  p.  48.  Kamehameha  strangled  the 
high  chief,  Kanihonui,  and  executed  a  priest  for  this  offence,  even  at 
the  risk  of  a  rebellion.  This  was  in  1809. 


382  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

But  the  stern  bigotry  of  the  king  was  often  overmas- 
tered by  his  humanity,  as  in  the  case  where  Hewahewa 
doomed  a  fine  boy  for  sacrifice  on  a  certain  day.  The 
lad  fell  sick  in  contemplating  his  cruel  fate,  and  was 
likely  to  die  from  terror  before  the  allotted  time. 
Shocked  at  such  an  insult  to  the  gods,  the  priest  ordered 
his  man-killer  to  strangle  him  upon  the  altar  at  once. 
The  king  heard  of  this  decree,  and  ordered  the  kahuna 
to  bring  the  sick  boy  to  the  palace.  With  his  own  hand 
Kamehameha  cared  for  the  lad,  and  he  recovered,  re- 
maining one  of  the  royal  family  until  the  king's  death. 
Possibly  this  act  of  humanity  was  meant  for  a  check 
upon  the  priestly  arrogance  of  Hewahewa.* 

Peace  and  good  laws  were  at  length  everywhere  estab- 
lished, and  so  complete  a  change  was  brought  about  that 
a  truly  golden  age  dawned  upon  the  once  rebellious 
land.  All  open  opposition  to  Kamehameha's  rule  was 
completely  subdued,  and  the  only  secret  conspiracy 
known  to  the  government  was  personally  suppressed  by 
him  in  a  characteristic  way.f 

Knowing  that  the  powerful  chiefs  of  the  old  dynasties 
would  lose  no  opportunity  of  plotting  against  the  new 
regime,  the  sagacious  monarch  would  not  trust  the  sus- 
pected aliis  to  collect  the  taxes,  or  other  "  sinews  of 
war,"  on  their  own  estates.  In  such  cases  female  chiefs 
were  appointed  tax-gatherers.  They  were  also  made 
secret  detectives  in  the  pay  of  government,  writh  in- 
structions to  spy  secretly  upon  the  doings  of  all  the 
seditious  nobles.  Wonderfully  well  did  some  of  these 
chiefesses  perform  their  detective  duties. 

*  See  Jarves'  "  History,"  p.  197. 

f  Compare  this  method  of  subduing  a  conspiracy  with  Kahekili's 
' '  waipio  kimopo"  (general  assassinations)  of  a  whole  community  of 
nobles,  innocent  as  well  as  guilty. 


The  Conspiracy.  383 

One  day  the  king  was  about  to  sit  down  to  his  evening 
repast  when  a  spy,  one  of  the  chiefesses,  claimed  private 
audience.  Trembling  at  what  she  had  to  disclose — for 
some  of  her  dearest  friends  were  involved — she  reported 
a  formidable  conspiracy  against  the  king.  Fifty  of  the 
powerful  old-line  chiefs  of  Ewa,  Waianai,  and  Waialua 
were  to  meet  in  secret  that  night  at  a  lonely  house  in 
Puuloa  (Pearl  River)  to  concert  plans  for  an  immediate 
rebellion.  Quieting  her  fears  with  a  promise  of  dealing 
fairly  with  her  friends,  Kamehameha  dismissed  the 
pretty  chiefess,  and  bade  her  paddle  home  in  her  canoe 
as  she  came. 

Though  a  sumptuous  repast  was  spread  in  the  eating- 
house  of  the  king,  and  numerous  chiefs  of  the  old  and 
new  dynasties  were  present,  waiting  to  grace  the  evening 
meal,  the  stern  monarch  was  too  full  of  the  sudden  dis- 
closure to  remain.  It  was  necessary,  however,  that  the 
old-line  chiefs  should  be  kept  from  following  him,  or 
learning  the  cause  of  his  absence. 

Bidding  all  present  to  be  seated,  and  appointing 
Keeaumoku  to  preside  over  the  feast  until  his  return,  the 
king  excused  himself  on  the  plea  of  important  business 
of  state.  He  permitted  none  of  his  attendant  chiefs  to 
accompany  him.  Taking  down  his  ponderous  war-spear 
from  the  roof-tree  of  his  sleeping-house,  he  started  alone 
in  the  darkness  for  the  place  of  secret  meeting  fifteen 
miles  away. 

The  gloom  following  a  tropic  twilight  had  just  ushered 
in  the  stars,  and  the  sea-gulls  were  at  roost  upon  rock 
and  reef  along  the  shore,  as  the  black-browed  king  left 
Pulaholaho.  His  rapid  walk  could  be  traced  by  the 
crowd  of  screaming  sea-birds  that  rose  with  a  startled 
cry  over  the  beach  as  he  strode  by,  trusting  to  the  awe- 


384  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

inspiring  might  of  his  military  renown  to  quell  a  rebel- 
lion of  savage  chieftains. 

When  the  beach  failed  to  lead  in  the  direction  he  was 
going,  he  chose  a  pathless  track  across  the  wilds,  delving 
into  deep  ravines  and  swimming,  spear  in  hand,  over 
lagoons  and  rivers.  It  was  nearly  midnight  when  he 
reached  the  desolate  moor  and  stealthily  approached  the 
lonely  house.  There  he  saw  fifty  ferocious  chiefs  of  the 
conquered  land,  assembled  in  secret  conclave  and  plot- 
ting treason. 

Listening  attentively  until  the  conspirators  had  fully 
unfolded  their  plans,  chosen  their  leaders,  and  fixed  time 
and  place  for  immediate  action,  the  angry  monarch  tar- 
ried just  long  enough  to  thrust  his  huge  spear,  point 
downward,  in  the  sand  of  the  bleak  moor,  about  four 
feet  from  the  only  door  of  the  house,  and  departed. 

The  spear  was  the  well-known  I  he  nui  of  the  king,  the 
beautifully  carved  souvenir  which  Kalaniopuu  left  with 
Wailele  before  Kamehameha  was  born,  the  most  costly 
weapon  in  the  land.  There  would  be  no  mistaking  as  to 
who  had  given  the  mysterious  warning  of  death. 

Kamehameha  strode  homeward  beneath  the  midnight 
stars,  with  longer  steps  and  greater  vehemence  than  he 
came.  He  had  listened  to  treason  declaimed  by  nobles 
who  had  fawned  about  his  court  with  such  a  profusion  of 
friendly  professions  that  he  had  made  generous  restora- 
tion of  their  estates,  adding  . 

"  Go,  and  be  faithful.  Remember  tjiat  the  all-seeing 
eye  of  Pele  is  upon  you,  and  the  '  I  he  o  Kamehameha ' 
will  find  you  out  in  the  evil  hour." 

When  the  king  reached  the  palace  he  dismissed  the 
wondering  guests  without  a  word  of  explanation,  for 
none  had  dared  disobey  his  command  by  leaving  the 
eating-house  before  his  return.  He  retired  as  if  nothing 


We  must  Die.  385 

unusual  had  occurred,  and  the  noble  chiefs  were  not 
enlightened  about  the  indignity  put  upon  them  until  the 
next  morning. 

The  treasonable  meeting  at  Puuloa  broke  up  soon 
after  the  departure  of  the  king.  The  first  of  the  con- 
spirators to  leave  the  secret  conclave  was  the  newly 
chosen  leader,  Kaneoneo,  a  haughty  chieftain  of  the 
treacherous  race  of  Kahekili.  As  the  tapa  curtain  was 
flung  from  before  the  door,  a  glare  of  light  from  the 
candle-nut  torches  within  flashed  out  upon  the  shining 
spear-staff.  The  nervous  conspirator,  already  startled 
by  his  own  black  shadow  standing  gaunt  and  grim  in  the 
night-gloom  before  him,  stood  aghast  with  awe  at  the 
sight.  Then,  with  a  look  of  consternation,  he  plucked 
the  great  spear  from  the  sand,  rushed  back  among  the 
assembled  conspirators,  who  were  still  in  earnest  discus- 
sion, exclaiming  in  a  voice  hoarse  with  terror  : 

"The  ear  of  the  dread  Giant  has  listened  at  the  door. 
This  is  the  *  Ihe  o  Kamehamtha  ! '  Our  plans  are  known 
to  the  king ;  we  must  die  !  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  Ihe  nui  of  the  Hawaiian  king,"  echoed 
many  voices  from  the  groups  of  savage  men. 

"  Who  has  done  this  foul  treachery  ?  Who  has  be- 
trayed us  ? "  bellowed  a  ferocious  chief,  maddened  by 
the  thought  of  treason  within  treason,  as  he  sprang  out 
from  among  his  fellows,  flourishing  his  long-bladed  dag- 
ger, glaring  about  among  the  fear-stricken  faces,  and 
ready  to  take  vengeance  upon  any  suspected  one. 

"Alii!  "  exclaimed  the  leader.  "  It  is  none  of  our  num- 
ber. It  is  the  dread  Pele  who  has  disclosed  our  secret 
to  the  Hawaiian,  and  we  are  as  good  as  dead  men." 

"  Auwe  !    Auwe  /  "  was  the  doleful  exclamation  of  all. 

The  pallor  of  death  was  upon  every  face.  Each  war- 
rior grasped  spear  or  dagger,  and  glanced  furtively  into 


386  Kamdhame'ha  the  Great. 

dark  crannies  and  toward  the  door,  aghast  with  the  ex- 
pectation of  seeing  the  Giant  stalk  into  their  midst  and 
execute  the  stroke  of  death  upon  them  all.  Each  chief 
among  them  was  a  strong,  brave  man,  ready  to  risk  his 
life  in  any  warlike  enterprise  ;  but  there  was  something 
dread  and  supernatural  in  finding  the  black  The  at  the 
door  of  their  secret  rendezvous.  They  were  appalled  and 
terror-stricken,  for  they  believed  it  to  be  the  work  of  in- 
visible hands.  With  whispered  messages  and  brief  fare- 
wells most  of  the  terrified  aliis  dispersed  to  their  homes  ; 
while  others  fled  to  the  mountain  wilds,  or  took  canoe 
for  the  distant  island  of  Kauai. 

After  brief  reflection,  the  most  sagacious  among  them 
bethought  them  of  the  well-known  humanity  of  the  con- 
queror ;  and  at  early  dawn,  in  accordance  with  an  ancient 
custom,  many  of  the  conspirators  approached  the  palace 
of  the  king,  crawling  upon  their  hands  and  knees,  and 
crying  :  "  E  ola  au  !  E  ola  au  ! — Let  us  live  !  Let  us 
live,  most  noble  king  !"  The  gigantic  leader,  with  greater 
humility  than  his  fellows,  crept  close  up  to  the  monarch 
and  laid  the  ponderous  spear  at  his  feet,  bowing  his  head 
upon  the  ground,  and  patiently  waiting  the  death-stroke 
he  justly  deserved. 

But  the  wrath  of  the  king  was  abated  ;  while  in  fur- 
therance of  the  supernatural  fears  of  the  conspirators, 
he  briefly  addressed  the  cringing  nobles  before  his  door  : 

"  Base  men,  treacherous  aliis !  Who  among  you 
thought  to  hide  his  evil  doings  from  the  all-seeing  Pele  ? 
Begone  !  away  to  your  homes,  and  beware  of  evil  ways, 
for  the  god-born  of  Mukini  has  possessed  himself  of  your 
lands  forever." 

The  repentant  conspirators  failed  not  to  keep  fealty 
with  their  liege  lord.  They  remained  faithful  to  their 
allegiance  all  their  lives  long,  and  went  to  their  graves 


A  loha  and  Farewell.  387 

in  the  unfaltering  belief  that  the  "  I  he  o  Kamthameha  " 
was  placed  at  their  door  by  the  agency  of  the  gods,  in 
dread  league  with  the  king. 

As  the  savage's  highest  conceptions  of  deity  are 
ascribed  to  physical  attributes,  what  wonder  that  the 
Hawaiians  deified  and  adored  their  warrior-king  for  his 
surpassing  strength,  courage,  and  deeds  of  prowess  ?  He 
was  a  very  demi-god  to  his  people  ! 

Whether  we  view  Kamehameha's  perfected  work  by 
the  light  of  his  military  renown,  or  contemplate  his 
strongly  centralized  government,  welded  together  from 
many  lesser  despotisms,  we  can  but  marvel  at  the  genius 
which  conceived  and  matured  such  an  enterprise  in 
youth,  which  organized  and  maintained  a  stupendous 
army,  and  which  handled  it  with  the  strategic  ability  of  a 
born  general. 

In  boyhood,  as  we  have  seen,  Kame'hame'ha  acquired 
the  name  of  Puhi-kapa,  "  strangler  of  sea-snakes."  So 
completely  did  he  strangle  every  rebellion  among  the 
old  dynasties,  that  his  government  was  established  more 
thoroughly  than  the  mailed  Norman's  in  Britain,  or  the 
still  greater  Corsican's  in  Gaul. 

********* 

Since  the  conquest  of  Oahu,  the  Nuuanu  Valley  has 
been  deemed  classic  ground  by  all  true  lovers  of  the  • 
Hawaiian  Islands.  It  is  a  most  romantic  spot,  justly 
held  dear  for  its  precipitous  cliffs,  jutting  crags,  and  ro- 
mantic gorges.  Its  picturesque  beauty  and  matchless 
view  of  surf  and  sea,  its  lakes  and  groves  and  flowery 
meadows,  together  impart  a  charm  which  fascinate  the 
resident  and  stranger  alike. 

What  an  arena  of  savage  grandeur  is  the  Pali  for  the 
final  Thermopylae  of  Hawaii  !  What  sacred  memories 
flood  the  mind  when  we  recall  the  tragic  incidents  of 


388  Kame'hame'ha  the  Great. 

that  dreadful  battle !  The  heart  thrills  as  we  contem- 
plate its  life-like  visions  of  historic  drama  come  and  go 
before  our  wondering  eyes. 

Here  bare  the  head  and  bless  the  hour  for  what  you 
see  to-day,  for,  towering  like  an  eagle's  eyrie,  the  pdli 
now  overlooks  a  paradise  of  Christian  homes,  a  bewitch- 
ing panorama  of  peaceful  lands,  bounded  by  land-locked 
mountains  and  enclosed  by  a  surf-lashed  shore.  These 
are  Nature's  best  balm  to  dispel  our  sadness  and  assuage 
our  tears  after  sorrowing  over  a  nation's  bereavement, 
when  standing  where  a  once  martial  kingdom  was  lost 
and  won. 

Stand  with  us  on  the  dizzy  brink  of  the  precipitous 
pdli,  over  which  the  Giant  Guard  spear-tossed  a  thou- 
sand defeated  soldiers  into  the  plain  below.  Hark  to  the 
wild  clang  of  that  long-gone  battle  of  savage  men  !  It 
rings  down  the  century  as  if  it  were  fought  but  yester- 
day. Its  final  clash  of  spears  still  echoes  among  the 
wooded  crags  above  us,  where  the  screaming  tropic-birds 
circle  about  their  nests  to-day  as  on  that  day  of  battle. 

Here,  on  this  bare  black  rock,  Oahu's  youthful  hero 
fought  and  fell.  And  here  Love  still  lies  bleeding  upon 
her  dead  king,  as  when  their  loved  island  was  made  a 
kingless  land.  Look  through  your  blinding  tears  and 
see  his  golden  mamo  stabbed  through  and  through  by  a 
score  of  daggers. 

There,  above  you,  hangs  the  beetling  crag  where 
Kalani's  newly-wedded  queen  crouched  among  her 
maidens,  watching  through  her  tears  to  see  her  royal 
lover  fight  and  fall  ;  then  leaping  like  a  wild  antelope 
from  the  high  crag,  in  answer  to  his  dying  call,  Kupule 
died  broken-hearted  on  the  pierced  breast  of  her  dead 
king,  in  the  first  flush  of  her  beauty  and  in  the  dawn  of 
her  love. 


A   HAWAIIAN    GLOSSARY. 

The  ancient  language  had  but  twelve  letters,  in  the 
following  order  : 

A,  E,  I,  O,  U,  H,  K,  L,  M,  N,  P,  W. 

The  vowel  sounds  are  uniform,  varying  only  as  they 
are  long  or  short.  A,  has  the  sound  of  a  in  father  ;  e,  of 
a  in  fate  ;  i,  of  e  in  me  ;  o,  of  o  in  note  ;  and  u,  of  oo  in 
good. 

Neither  words  nor  syllables  ever  end  in  consonants. 
Most  syllables  contain  but  one  or  two  letters,  never  more 
than  three.  Words  are  mostly  accented  on  the  penult, 
and  are  pronounced,  in  spelling,  as  O-a-hu,  A-16-ha,  and 
Ho-no-lu-lu, 

A'-a,  hard  lava,  or  pumice 

A'-e,  an  assent,  yes 

Ai,  to  eat 

Ai-a-lo,  privileged  to  eat  with  the  king 

Ai-Kanaka,  man-eater,  cannibal 

Ai-ka-ne,  friend  of  same  sex 

Ao,  a  cloud,  the  day 

Ao-kea,  white  cloud 

Ao-ula,  red  cloud 

Ao-uli,  blue  cloud 

Ao-le,  no,  not ;  a  universal  negative 

Au,  the  time 

Au-moe,  time  to  sleep 

Au-we,  alas  !  oh  ! 

A'-hi,  fire,  fiery 

A'-hu  A'-lii,  Council  of  Chiefs 

389 


390  Glossary. 

A'-hu  Ula,  red  feather  cloak  ;  the  color  worn  by  chiefs 

A-ke,  to  tattle  ;  to  tell  lies 

A-ku-a,  God,  the  Deity  ;  any  supernatural  being 

A'-lii,  a  chief 

A'-lii  Nii-i,  a  great  chief 

A'-lii  Ka-pu,  a  tabu  chief,  a  priest 

A'-lii  Pio,  chief  of  high  rank 

A'-lii  Ni-au-pio,  the  highest  rank,  born  of  brother  and  sister 

A-lii  wo-hi,  chief  of  rank  next  the  king 

A-16-ha  !  love  to  you  ;  a  greeting  or  a  farewell 

A-na-a'-na,  praying  to  god  Ouli  to  kill 

A'nu,  a  sacred  enclosure.     The  "  Holy  of  Holies  " 

A'-pu,  a  cup  made  of  cocoa-nut  shell 

A'-wa,  a  plant  ;  an  intoxicant  made  from  its  root 

A-la-pai,  path  to  justice.     An  ancient  king 

'E,  yes,  synonymous  with  A-e 
E-a,  the  spirit,  the  breath,  the  life 
E'-e,  distant,  out  of  sight 
E-le-le,  a  herald,  an  embassador 
E-le-e-le,  dark,  black,  brown 
E'-pa,  false,  deceitful 

I-a-o,  name  of  a  noted  valley  and  river  on  Maui 

la-lo'-a,  to  embalm  the  dead 

I-i'-wi,  a  red  bird,  from  which  chiefs'  cloaks  were  made 

I-6-le,  a  mouse  ;  iole  nui,  a  rat 

I'-he,  a  spear 

I-le-na,  a  general  burial-place 

I-li-o,  dog  ;  I-li'-o  po-li,  breast-nursed  dog 

I'-mu,  a  baking-place,  an  earth-oven 

I'-no,  bad,  sinful 

I-nu,  to  drink,  to  be  drunk 

I-pu,  a  gourd  cup 

O,  of  ;  also  an  imperative  prefix 
O-a-hu,  to  split.     The  island 
O'-e,  thou,  you 
O'-o,  a  royal  tabued  bird 
O'-he,  bamboo,  a  hollow  reed 


Glossary.  391 

O-he-lo,  whortleberry 

O-he-lo  pa-pa,  strawberry 

O-hi-a,  a  red  apple,  the  tree 

O'-ho,  hair,  scalp-lock 

O-hti,  fog,  mist,  smoke 

O'-le,  no,  not  ;  used  after  a  noun,  as  Ao-le  is  used  before  it 

O'-li,  joy,  pleasure 

O'-li-o'-li,  to  sing  joyfully 

O-lu-lo,  shipwreck 

O-mo,  to  nurse 

O'-no,  sweetness 

O'-pu,  the  belly,  which  is  deemed  the  seat  of  thought  ;  the  soul 

O-wai,  who  ?  what  person  ? 

U,  the  breast,  breast-milk 
U'-a,  to  weep,  to  mourn 
U-ao,  a  cat,  to  mew  as  a  cat 
U-ha-ne,  the  soul ;  a  spirit,  a  ghost 
U'-la,  red,  color  of  a  flame 
U'-lu,  bread  fruit 

U'-mi,  keep  the  secret ;  hide  your  emotions.     Name  of  several  great 
chiefs 

U-po-lu,  name  of  a  cape 

Hae,  a  flag,  a  banner 

Ha-6-le,  a  foreigner 

Ha-ku,  lord,  master 

Ha-le,  house 

Ha-le  a-ka-la,  House  of  the  sun.     Crater  on  Maui 

Ha-le  mau-mau,  House  of  everlasting  fire.     The  crater 

Ha-ma-kua,  gap  in  the  ridge.     A  district  on  Hawaii 

Ha-wai-i,  the  island 

He-le,  go,  move  on 

Hei'-au,  a  heathen  temple 

He-le  mai,  come  here  Bancroft  Library 

He-6-ha,  scalping  the  dead 

He-wa,  sin,  wrong 

He-wa-he-wa,  "crazy."     Kamehameha's  high-priest 

Hi-lo,  new  moon,  to  twist 

Hii-la-we,  to  "  carry  in  arms."    The  famous  falls  of  Waipio 


392  Glossary. 

Ho-a-no,  sacred,  holy 
Ho-ao,  marriage  to  test  the  affections 
H6-e,  to  row,  to  paddle 
Ho-ku,  a  star,  the  young  moon 
H6-pe,  or  Ho-pe-na,  the  end,  finish 
Ho-no-lu-lu,  a  "  calm  spot."     Town  of 
Hoo-pa-lau,  single  combat,  betrothed 
Hu-a,  fruit,  an  offspring 
Hu-a  oo,  ripe  fruit 
Hti-hu,  to  be  angry,  to  offend 

Hu-la-a-na,   "  to  swim  round  the  cliff."      The  great  pdli  of  Wai- 
manu  where  the  naval  battle  was  fought  by  the  three  kings 
Hu-la,  music,  dancing,  singing 
Hu-na-ke-le,  hiding  the  dead  chief's  bones 

Ka,  definite  article,  but  spelled  Ke  before  nouns  beginning  with  K 

Ka  !  exclamation  of  surprise,  anger,  a  profane  curse 

Kai,  the  sea 

Kai-koo,  high  surf 

Kai'-ko,  constable 

Ka-i'-li,  the  king's  war  god 

Ka-6,  a  peace-maker 

Kau,  the  season.     Name  of  a  district 

Kau-ai,  fruitful  season 

Ka-u,  mine,  to  me 

Ka-hu,  guardian,  nurse 

Ka-hu-na,  priest,  a  professor 

Ka-lo  (taro),  an  esculent  root 

Ka-pu  (tabu),  sacred,  holy,  forbidden.     System  of  heathen  worship 

Ka-pu  we'-la,  "prostrate  or  die,"  "  bow  to  the  chief  or  be  burnt  " 

Ka-pa  (tapa),  bark  cloth,  a  garment 

Ka-pu  Ka-ne,  human  sacrifice 

Ka-pu  hii-a,  fruit  sacrifice 

Ka-pii  pu-a-a,  hog  sacrifice 

Ka-ne,  a  male.     The  god 

Ka-na-ka,  a  common  man 

Kau-lua,  double  canoe 

Kau-wa,  a  servant 

Kau-la,  a  prophet 


Glossary.  393 

Ka-hi'-li,  fly  brush 

Ke,  article  the 

Ke-a,  white.     Name  of  the  mountain 

Ke-i'-ki,  a  child  of  either  sex 

Ke-la,  that 

Ki'  (ti),  a  shrub  with  sweet  root  and  healing  leaves 

Ki-ai,  a  guard 

Ki-ai-poo,  King's  guard  during  sleep 

Ki-u,  a  spy,  to  spy 

Ki-ha  Pu,  the  shell  trumpet  to  call  up  the  genii 

Ki'-hei,  a  tapa  cape 

Ki'-lo,  a  magician,  a  judge 

Kii,  an  idol,  statue,  picture 

Ki-mo-po,  plot  to  assassinate,  a  secret  rebellion 

Ki-pa,  a  rebel,  a  revolt 

Ko,  sugar,  sugar-cane 

Ko-a,  the  great  canoe  tree 

Ko-i',  an  adze,  an  axe 

Ko-ha-na,  naked,  destitute 

Ko-ko-lo,  to  creep  or  bow  down  when  saluting  the  king 

Koo-lau,  falling  leaf 

Ko-na,  S.  or  S.  W.  wind 

Kii,  right,  proper 

Ku-ku-i,  candle-nut  tree,  a  torch 

Kuu-la,  the  god  of  fishermen 

Ku-li-a,  a  beauty,  desire  for  beauty 

Ku-kii-ni,  to  burn  in  sacrifice 

Ku-lou,  to  bow  in  grief 

(LIST   OF   IMPORTANT   NAMES  AND  THEIR   MEANING.) 
Ka-me-ha-me-ha  (Kah-may-hah-may-hah),   "  The  Lonely  One  " 
Ka-la-ni,   "  heavenly."     The  last  king  of  Oahu 
Ka-la-ni-o-puu,   "budding  heaven."     Last  king  of  Hawaii  before 

the  conquest 

Ka-he-ki'-li,  the  "  Thunderer."     Last  king  of  Maui 
Ka-pi-o-la-ni,  "  Captive  of  Heaven."     The  heroic  wife  of  Nai'-he 
Kai-a-na,    "sea  of  trouble."     The  traitor  chief  who  deserted  to 

Kalani 

Ka-lai-mo-ku,   "  quiet  the  land."     The  premier,  Billy  Pitt 


394  Glossary. 

Ka-lai-ma-no,  the  shark.     Chief  who  killed  Captain  Cook. 

Ka-lai-pa-hoa,  the  poison  god,  made  from  the  Nioi  tree 

Ka-lo'-la,  "  neglected."  Queen  of  Hawaii,  and  mother  of  King 
Kiwalao 

Ka-lo'-le,   "  woven  cloth,"  a  chief  ess 

Ka-la-ma,  "  torchlight,"  Queen  of  K.  III. 

Kaa-hu-ma-nu,  "Feather  Mantle."  The  love-queen  of  the  Con- 
queror 

Ka-la-ku-a,  "way  of  the  gods."  Sister  of  Feather  Mantle  and 
wife  of  K.  I. 

Ka-6-lei-6-ku,  the  "  secret  garland."  A  natural  son  of  K.  I.,  who 
was  spared  at  the  assassination  of  Keoua 

Kai-lu-a,  "  two  seas."     Place  where  the  old  king  died 

Ka-la-kau-a,   "day  of  battle."     The  present  king 

Ka-mee-i-mo-ku,  the  pirate  chief  who  captured  the  "  Fair 
American  " 

Ka-ma-ne-wa,  this,  and  the  last-mentioned  chief,  were  the  "  Maui 
Twins,"  sent  by  Kahekili  to  guard  Kamehameha  in  his  youth 

Ka-wai-hae,   "  torn  waters,"  Town  of 

Kee-au-mo-ku,  "  swim  to  the  ship."  The  giant  chief  who  did  most 
to  establish  the  Conqueror.  Father  of  "  Feather  Mantle,"  and  two 
other  wives  of  the  king.  Who  killed  Kiwalao  at  the  battle  of  Keei. 
Who  assassinated  Keoua  and  seven  companion  chiefs  after  they  had 
surrendered 

Ke-o-ua,  ' '  rain-food. "  The  warrior-king  who  resisted  Kamehameha 
for  nine  years.  Pele  having  destroyed  400  of  his  army,  he  surren- 
dered and  was  assassinated  at  Kawaihae 

Ke-ku-hau-pif-o,  "  captive  winds."  The  renowned  general  whom 
Cook  shot  in  the  thigh,  while  protesting  his  brother  Ka-li'-mu's 
death  by  Cook's  boats.  He  who  taught  the  art  of  war  to  Kame- 
hameha 

Ke-6-pu-o-la'-ni,  "  clouds  in  the  heaven."  Kiwalao's  widowed 
queen.  State  queen  of  K.  I.  Mother  of  K.  II.  and  K.  III. 

Ke-a-we,  ancient  king  of  Hawaii 

Ke-ao,  a  "legend."    King  of  Kauai 

Ke-kau-li'-ke,  to  "  hang  even."     An  ancient  Maui  king 

Ke-6-ne  A'-na,  John  Young,  the  white  chief 

Ke-ku-pu-6-hi,  a  queen  and  poetess 

Ke-ei,  town  where  the  king  fought  his  first  battle 


Glossary.  395 

Ki-lau-e-a,  "  shooting  fire."     The  active  volcano 

Ki-wa-la-o,   "  rebellious."     Left  as  joint  king  with  Kamehameha 

Ko-ni-a,   "disobedient,"  wife  of  Paki,  and  mother  of  Mrs.  Bishop 

Ku-a-ki'-ne,  Gov.  Adams 

Ku-pu-le,  "prayerful."     Kalani's  queen 

La,  the  sun 

La-au,  trees 

La-e,  a  cape  or  headland 

La-e  loa,  long  cape 

Lau,  a  leaf,  an  herb 

Lau-a,  dual,  they  two,  we  two 

Lau-ha-la,  the  Pandanus 

La-ni,  heaven,  heavenly 

La-pu,  a  night-coming  spirit 

Le'i  (lae),  a  wreath,  necklace  of  beads,  shells,  or  flowers 

Le-hu-a,  the  first  slain  ;  to  be  sacrificed 

Le-a-hi,   "  wreath  of  fire."     Diamond  Head 

Le-le,  an  altar,  to  leap 

Le-pa,  the  tabu  flag  placed  to  guard  sacred  places 

Li'-li,  jealousy 

Li-li'-o,  gluttonous 

Li'-lo,  lost,  gone,  taken 

Li-li'-ha,   "fat  of  hogs."     A  chiefess 

L6-a,  long,  a  measure  of  time  or  distance.     The  mountain 

L6-mi,  or  lomi-lomi,  to  rub,  knead  the  body 

L6-no,  the  god  of  fruit  and  flowers 

Lu'-a,  to  kill  by  breaking  the  bones 

Lu-a,  a  pit 

Lu-a  Pe-le,  a  volcano 

Lu-ku,  beaten,  slaughtered  in  battle 

Ma,  at,  by,  in,  through 
Ma-a,  a  sling  used  in  battle 
Maa-le'-a,  cunning,  crafty.     Bay  of 
Ma-i,  come 
Mai-a,  banana 

Mai-ka,  a  stone  used  in  bowling 
Mai'-kai,  good,  handsome,  correct 
Mai-ko-la,  worthless,  contemptible 


396  Glossary. 

Ma-6-li,  true,  pure 
Mau-na,  mountain 

Ma-u-ka,  inland    from  the  sea  i  ^  in  constant  use 
Ma-kai,  toward  the  sea  f 

Ma-he-le,  to  cut,  divide,  circumcision 
Ma-hi'-na,  the  moon 
Ma-ho-pe,  behind,  after 
Ma-hu-a,  to  mock,  to  deride 
Ma-ka'-po,  blindness 
Ma'-ke,  death,  to  die,  the  dead 
Ma-ka-hi'-ki,  New-Year 
Ma-li'-e  !  hush,  be  quiet,  be  calm 
Ma-li-hi'-ni,  a  stranger 

Ma'-lo,  a  strip  of  tapa  cloth  worn  about  the  loins 
Ma'-mo,  the  yellow  war  cloak  of  royalty.     Red  cloaks  were  worn 
by  the  chiefs  ;  black,  by  the  priests 
Ma-na-o,  a  thought,  plan,  purpose 
Ma-na-o  la-ni,  a  heavenly  thought 
Ma-na-o  la-na,  a  floating  thought 
Me-a,  a  thing,  a  person 
Me-ha,  alone,  lonely 
Me-ha-me-ha,   "Lonely  One" 
Me-le,  a  song,  to  sing 
Me-le  i-n6-a,  to  chant  one's  pedigree 
Mi-o-mi-o,  sloping.     A  companion  of  the  king's 
Mi'-hi,  to  eat  poi  with  the  fingers 
Mi'-lu,  Hell,  the  place  of  departed  spirits 
Mo'-a,  a  fowl 

Moa-a-lii,  the  sea  god  to  whom  sacrifice  was  made 
Mo'-e,  a  bed,  to  sleep 
Mo-e-pu,  companion  in  death 
M6-i,  the  sovereign  chief,  the  king 
Mo-6,  a  lizard 

Moo-o-le-lo,  history,  tradition 
Moo-ka-hu-na,  historian,  or  history-making  priest 
Mo-hai,  to  sacrifice 
Mo'-ku,  an  island,  a  ship 
Mu'-ki,  to  kiss 
Mu-li-wai,  a  river 


Glossary.  397 

Mo-ku-a-weo-weo,  a  "red  crack  in  the  land."  Crater  on  Mauna 
Loa 

Mo-lo-kai,   "  parting  the  seas."     The  island 
Mo-ka-pu,  broken  tabu.     N.  cape  of  Oahu 

Na,  the  plural  sign  placed  before  nouns 

Na-au-a6,  a  teacher  ;  a  person  of  enlightened  bowels 

Na-au-po,  dark-hearted 

Na-lo,  a  fly 

Na-lu,  the  surf,  a  billow 

Na-na,  to  bark 

Na-ne,  a  pedigree  told  in  allegory 

Na-ni,  glorious,  beautiful 

Ni-6-i,  poison  tree  of  Molokai 

Ni-ho,  a  tooth 

Ni-ho  pa-la-6-a,  an  ivory  tooth 

Ni-u,  cocoa-nut,  the  tree 

No,  of,  for  ;  same  as  O  or  ko 

No-a,  to  release  from  tabu 

N6-ho,  a  chair,  a  seat 

N6-ni,  a  plant  used  to  sanctify  the  dying 

Nu-i,  large,  great,  much,  many 

Nu-u-lu,  a  shade,  an  umbrella 

Nai'-he,  "  the  spear."     The  great  national  orator 

Na-ma-ha-na,  "warm-hearted."  The  Maui  queen;  mother  of 
Feather  Mantle  and  two  other  wives  of  K.  I. 

Na-ma-ke-ha,  "puffed  with  pride."  Brother  of  Kaiana,  also  a 
traitor  to  the  king 

Nuu-a-nu,  "  even  temperature."     The  valley 

Pa,  a  wall,  an  enclosure 
Pad,  keep  secret,  be  silent 

Pa-ao,  the  "guard  wall."  The  renowned  priest,  and  first  white 
man  known  to  Hawaii 

Pa-e,  to  land,  to  go  ashore 

Pa-e-pu,  roar  of  the  sea 

Pa-he-lo,  to  throw  a  spear 

Pa-hi,  sword,  edged  with  shark's  teeth 

Pa-h6-a,  a  dagger 

Pa-hu,  a  drum  used  at  the  heiaus 


398  Glossary. 

Pa-f-na,  to  eat 

Pa-ki,  a  ti  hedge 

Pa-ki,  to  divide  the  water.     The  chief 

Pa-kii,  a  curtain 

Pa-la-6-a,  an  ivory  ornament.     Insignia  of  rank 

Pa-li,  a  precipice 

Pa-pu,  a  fort 

Pa-u,  a  tapa  petticoat 

Pau-a-hi,  "consumed  by  fire."     The  chief  ess  Mrs.  Bishop 

Pe-le,   the  fabled  goddess  of  volcanoes  ;    the  dominant  deity  of 
Hawaii 

Pe-pe-hi,  "  man-killer."     The  priest 

Pe-po,  black.     Pepehi's  assassin 

Pi-li-ki-a,  trouble,  difficulty,  danger 

Pi'-o,  a  captive,  a  prisoner 

P6,  night,  darkness  ;  in  distinction  to  A6,  day.     Nights  are  named 
after  three  phases  of  the  moon 

P6  Hi-lo  (first  phase),  new  moon,  seen  on  the  west  side  of  the 
island  at  eve. 

Po  Mo-ha-lu,  moon  at  quarter,  seen  over  the  islands  at  sunset 

Po  H6-ku,  full  moon,  rising  at  sunset 

Poe-ho-e-ho-e,  satin  lava 

P6-i,  food  made  from  taro,  potatoes,  bread-fruit 

Po-la,  platform  of  a  double  canoe 

Po-li,  the  bosom,  the  breast 

Po-16-lu,  a  long  spear 

P6-no,  good,  right,  proper 

Poo-lu-a,  a  bastard 

Po-wa,  to  rob,  a  robber 

Pu,  a  shell  horn,  a  gun 

Pu-a,  a  blossom,  a  flower 

Pu-a-a,  a  hog 

Pu-a-li,  a  life-guard,  company  of  soldiers 

Pu-a-wai,  flowing  from.     The  "  Punch-Bowl"  crater  at  Honolulu 

Pu-ka,  a  door,  a  gate 

Pu-ka  pa-ka-ka,  private  door,  sacred  to  the  king. 

Pu-ko-ha-la,  "the  gun  begets  sin."     Heiau  built  by  K.  I. 

Pu-le,  a  prayer  ;  to  pray 

Pu-lu,  the  silk  of  fern  trees 


Glossary.  399 

Pu-na,  coral 

Pu-na-wai,  a  spring,  a  well 

Pu-na  he-le,  a  bosom  friend 

Pu-pu-le,  insane 

Puu-ho-nu-a,  "  City  of  Refuge."     A  retreat  during  war 

Pu-wa-hi,  tapa  flag  of  war  canoes 

Wa,  private  talk,  gossip  about  others 

Wa-a,  a  canoe 

Wai,  fresh  water  ;  distinct  from  kai,  sea-water 

Wai  O'-ha,  holy  water 

Wai-o'-li,  singing  water 

Wai-u,  breast-water  or  milk 

Wai-ki-ki,  spouting  water.     Town  of 

Wai-le-le,  leaping  water,  water-fall.     The  Priestess 

Wai-lvi-a,  two  waters 

Wai-lu-ku,  destructive  waters 

Wai-lii-lu,  shaking  water 

Wai-ma-nu,  water  bird.     The  valley  of 

Wa-hi-ne,  a  woman,  a  wife. 

Wa-hii-pu,  "  reason  without  anger."    The  priest,  father  of  Wailele 

Wa-na-na,  prophecy  ;  the  will  of  God 

Wrai-pi-o,  captive  water.     The  valley  of 

Wi,  famine,  destitution 

Wi-ki,  quick 

Wf-ki  wi'-ki,  quicker,  hurry 

Wi-wo,  timid,  modest 

Wi-wo  6-le,  fearless 


FINIS. 


